Learn French: Combien coûtent ces fraises ? - How much do these strawberries cost?

We use combien on its own when asking about an action or a price, like coûtent (cost). You use combien de when asking 'how many' of an object, like combien de fraises (how many strawberries). Since we are asking 'how much they cost,' we just use combien.

How do you pronounce coûtent? Do I say the '-ent' at the end?

The -ent ending on French verbs is completely silent! You pronounce coûtent exactly the same as the singular form coûte (which sounds like the English word 'coot').

Why is the verb coûtent placed before ces fraises?

In French, you can form a question by swapping the verb and the subject, which sounds a bit more formal. It literally translates to 'How much cost these strawberries?'. In everyday spoken French, you could also keep the normal order and ask Ces fraises coûtent combien ?.

Does ces change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine?

No! Ces means 'these' or 'those' and it is used for all plural nouns, regardless of gender. You only have to worry about masculine versus feminine when dealing with a single item (ce, cet, or cette).