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¿Cuánto cuesta el kilo de merluza?

¿Cuánto cuesta el kilo de merluza?
How much is a kilo of hake?
From Lesson 201:Fish, meat and the market (la merluza, el cordero)·Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of ¿Cuánto cuesta el kilo de merluza?

de
of
cuánto
how much
el kilo
the kilo
costar
to cost
la merluza
the hake

Questions & Answers about ¿Cuánto cuesta el kilo de merluza?

Why is it el kilo instead of un kilo when the English translation says "a kilo"?
In Spanish, when asking for the price per unit of measure or weight, we use the definite article (el, la, los, las). So el kilo translates literally as "the kilo" but means "a kilo" or "per kilo" in English.
Why doesn't merluza have an article like la before it?
Here, merluza refers to the fish in a general, uncountable sense. When using a unit of measurement followed by de (like el kilo de or un litro de), you do not use an article before the noun if you are talking about the substance in general.
If I were asking about multiple kilos, would cuesta change?
Yes. The verb cuesta must agree with the item whose price you are asking for. If you asked "How much are two kilos of hake?", you would say "¿Cuánto cuestan dos kilos de merluza?" because the subject (two kilos) is now plural.
What exactly is merluza and is it common in Spain?
Merluza means "hake," which is a very popular and common white fish in Spain. You will see it on almost every seafood menu and at every fish market in the country.

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