# Spanish For Gringos Lesson 4 Numbers 20100 Money Prices 2026 10 05

© 2026 Morning Update · Spanish for Gringos · Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:31:37 GMT · 4:28

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Maya: Hola, and welcome back to Spanish for Gringos! I'm Maya.
Devon: And I'm Devon. This is lesson four, and today we go big: numbers twenty through one hundred, plus the money talk every traveler needs.
Maya: Because knowing your numbers means nothing if you can't ask the price of that amazing taco.
Devon: Our most important phrase today: ¿Cuánto cuesta? It means, how much does it cost?
Maya: Say it with me. ¿Cuánto cuesta? KWAHN-toh KWES-tah. The letter u is always a long oo, like in moon, so cuesta is KWES-tah, not kwess-tah. You'll say this fifty times a day, so make it musical.
Devon: Now the money itself. The currency in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile is the peso. In Spanish it's just pesos. PEH-sos. Nice and easy.
Maya: And the word for dollars is dólares, with the accent on the first syllable. DOH-lah-res. Careful, gringos: in Mexico the dollar sign is also the peso sign. If a menu shows a price with a dollar sign, it usually means pesos, not American dollars. When in doubt, ask: ¿pesos o dólares?
Devon: Great tip. Now the big numbers. You already know veinte, twenty. Here are the rest of the tens: treinta is thirty, cuarenta is forty, cincuenta is fifty, sesenta is sixty, setenta is seventy, ochenta is eighty, noventa is ninety, and cien is one hundred.
Maya: And here's the magic pattern: to build any number, just connect the ten and the one with the word y, which means and. Thirty-five is treinta y cinco. Sixty-two is sesenta y dos. Ninety-nine is noventa y nueve.
Devon: So eight tacos at veinte pesos each? That's ciento sesenta. One hundred and sixty.
Maya: One warning about cien, pronounced see-EN: past one hundred it becomes ciento, like ciento veinte. For markets and taxis, cien is your workhorse.
Devon: Two bargaining phrases before our demo. Es caro means it's expensive. KAH-roh. And yes, give that r a little roll, like a purr. Es caro.
Maya: And es barato means it's cheap. Bah-RAH-toh. These two are your negotiation superpowers. A smile plus es caro can drop a price faster than anything.
Devon: And one more lifesaver: ¿Tiene cambio? Means, do you have change? Pronounced tee-EH-nay KAHM-byoh. Say it before you hand over a big bill, never after.
Maya: And finally, the kindness shield: solo estoy mirando. I'm just looking. SOH-loh es-TOY mee-RAHN-doh. When a vendor follows you through the market, smile and say it. Works every time.
Devon: Demo time. Maya's at a market in Oaxaca. I'm the vendor. Here we go.
Maya: Buenos días. ¿Cuánto cuesta esta blusa?
Devon: Cuesta trescientos pesos.
Maya: Trescientos. Ay, es caro. ¿Tiene algo más barato?
Devon: Tengo esta otra. Cuesta ciento cincuenta.
Maya: Hmm. Solo estoy mirando hoy. Muchas gracias.
Devon: De nada. ¡Vuelva pronto!
Maya: She asked the price, said it was expensive, asked for something cheaper, and exited gracefully. Pure gringo survival.
Devon: Cultural note time. Most street markets and small shops in Latin America are cash only, and vendors often can't break big bills. Carry small bills, ask ¿tiene cambio? before you pay, and pay in pesos, not dollars. Dollar-paying gringos get a terrible exchange rate.
Maya: And one more: in Colombia, prices are often quoted in thousands, and locals drop the thousand. If a vendor says cuesta diez, they might mean diez mil, ten thousand pesos. Listen for the word mil.
Devon: Recap drill. Three phrases. Maya, start us off.
Maya: How do you say, how much does it cost?
Devon: ¿Cuánto cuesta? KWAHN-toh KWES-tah.
Maya: How do you say, it's cheap?
Devon: Es barato. Bah-RAH-toh.
Maya: And how do you say, I'm just looking?
Devon: Solo estoy mirando. SOH-loh es-TOY mee-RAHN-doh.
Maya: Beautiful. Numbers twenty to one hundred and money talk are yours now. Next lesson, ordering food and drink like a local. Hasta luego, amigos.
Devon: Nos vemos. And remember, practice out loud: ¿cuánto cuesta? Say it everywhere today.