costar
/kos-TAR/
to cost
The coins next to the apple represent how much it would 'costar' to buy it.
costar(verb)
to cost
?referring to the price of an item or service
to be priced at
?stating the value
📝 In Action
¿Cuánto cuesta esta camiseta?
A1How much does this t-shirt cost?
Las entradas cuestan veinte euros.
A1The tickets cost twenty euros.
La cena nos costó mucho dinero.
A2The dinner cost us a lot of money.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'O' to 'UE' Change
This is a 'shoe verb.' The letter 'o' changes to 'ue' in all forms except for the 'we' (nosotros) and 'you all in Spain' (vosotros) forms.
Mostly Used in 3rd Person
Since things (like a shirt or tickets) are usually what have a price, you will almost always use 'cuesta' (it costs) or 'cuestan' (they cost).
❌ Common Pitfalls
The Wrong 'O'
Mistake: "Yo costo mucho."
Correction: Yo cuesto mucho. (Remember the o-to-ue change, though you rarely talk about your own price!)
⭐ Usage Tips
Asking for Prices
Use '¿Cuánto cuesta?' for one item and '¿Cuánto cuestan?' for multiple items.
Pushing a heavy boulder is something that can 'costar' a lot of effort.
costar(verb)
to be difficult
?referring to mental or physical effort
,to take effort
?when something is hard to achieve
to struggle
?when a person finds a task hard
📝 In Action
Me cuesta hablar español.
A2It's hard for me to speak Spanish.
A Juan le cuesta levantarse temprano.
B1Juan struggles to get up early.
Nos costó mucho encontrar la casa.
B1It took us a lot of effort to find the house.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Gustar' Pattern
When you want to say something is hard 'for you,' use words like 'me,' 'te,' or 'le' before the verb. For example: 'Me cuesta' means 'It is hard for me.'
Verbs After Costar
If you are saying a specific action is hard (like 'speaking' or 'running'), use the basic form of that action (the infinitive) right after: 'Me cuesta correr'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Don't use 'Yo'
Mistake: "Yo cuesto entender."
Correction: Me cuesta entender. (In Spanish, the task is what does the 'costing' of effort to you.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Sounding Natural
Instead of always saying 'Es difícil,' use 'Me cuesta' to sound more like a native speaker when talking about your own struggles.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: costar
Question 1 of 2
How do you say 'The books cost ten dollars'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'costar' and 'valer'?
They are very similar! 'Costar' usually refers to the specific price you pay, while 'valer' often refers to the value or worth of something. However, in shops, both can be used to ask for a price.
Is 'costar' always irregular?
Yes, in the present tense, the 'o' always changes to 'ue' when it is stressed (all forms except nosotros and vosotros).