Breakdown of Una docena de naranjas cuesta tres euros.
de
of
un
a, an, some
tres
three
el euro
the euro
la naranja
the orange
costar
to cost
la docena
the dozen
Questions & Answers about Una docena de naranjas cuesta tres euros.
Why is the verb cuesta (singular) used if we are talking about oranges (plural)?
Why do we need the word de after docena?
In English, we usually just say 'a dozen oranges.' But in Spanish, docena is a noun meaning 'a group of twelve,' so you have to connect it to the item being counted using de (of). Literally, it translates to 'a dozen of oranges.'
I remember the verb for 'to cost' is costar. Why does it have a 'ue' in cuesta?
Costar is a stem-changing verb. This means that when you conjugate it in the present tense, the o in the middle changes to ue for most forms. It becomes cuesta for a singular item and cuestan for plural items. The only forms that keep the original o are nosotros (we) and vosotros (you all).
Why isn't there an article like las before naranjas?
When you use a quantity phrase like una docena de (a dozen of) or un kilo de (a kilo of), you just follow it directly with the noun. You don't add the definite article (las) unless you are talking about specific, previously mentioned oranges.
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