Learn German: Was kostet das Ticket? - What does the ticket cost?

In English, we use helper words like do or does to form questions. German doesn't do this! You simply put the question word first (Was), followed immediately by the main verb (kostet), and then the subject (das Ticket).

Is Was the only way to ask about a price?

No! While Was kostet das Ticket? is very common and completely correct, you will also frequently hear Wie viel kostet das Ticket? (How much does the ticket cost). Both are perfectly fine to use.

Why does the verb kostet end in an -et?

The base verb is kosten (to cost). The subject of the sentence is das Ticket, which is a third-person singular noun. Normally, we just add a -t to the stem for this form, but because the stem of kosten already ends in the letter t (kost-), German adds an extra e to make it easier to pronounce, giving us kostet.

Is das Ticket an English word?

Yes, it is a loanword from English! German has adopted several English words. When it does, they are usually assigned the neutral article das. Remember to always capitalize it though, since all nouns in German are capitalized.