cost في 30 ثانية
- Cost (verb) primarily means to have a specific price in money.
- It is an irregular verb: the past and past participle are also 'cost'.
- It can describe non-monetary losses like time, effort, or lives.
- In technical accounting, 'costed' means to estimate the price of a project.
The verb cost is a fundamental pillar of economic and social exchange in the English language. At its most basic level, it indicates the amount of money required to buy, do, or make something. However, as one progresses from A1 to C2, the word transforms from a simple financial inquiry into a sophisticated tool for describing consequences, sacrifices, and the expenditure of non-monetary resources like time, effort, and reputation.
- Financial Value
- The primary use: 'The tickets cost twenty dollars.' Here, 'cost' links a subject (the item) with its price.
- Personal Sacrifice
- The secondary use: 'The mistake cost him his job.' This implies a loss or a penalty resulting from an action.
- Irregular Conjugation
- Note that 'cost' is usually irregular: cost (present), cost (past), cost (past participle). The form 'costed' is only used in specific technical accounting contexts.
"How much does this book cost?" asked the student.
In a broader sense, 'cost' functions as a stative verb when referring to price. It describes a state of being rather than a continuous action. You rarely say 'The milk is costing two dollars'; instead, you say 'The milk costs two dollars.' This distinction is vital for learners to master early on to sound natural.
"His arrogance cost him the election."
- Transitive Property
- It usually takes a direct object (the price) and often an indirect object (the person). 'It cost (me) (ten dollars).'
Using 'cost' correctly requires understanding its grammatical patterns. For A1 learners, the most important pattern is: [Subject] + cost/costs + [Price]. Because 'cost' is often used with inanimate objects, the third-person singular 'costs' is extremely frequent.
- Present Simple: 'This shirt costs $20.'
- Past Simple: 'Yesterday, the gas cost more than today.' (Note: no -ed).
- Questions: 'How much does it cost?' or 'What did it cost you?'
As you move to higher levels, you will use 'cost' to describe effort. 'Winning the marathon cost her every ounce of energy.' Here, the 'price' is physical exhaustion. In business English, 'cost' is often paired with adverbs like 'dearly' or 'significantly'.
"The delay cost the company millions in lost revenue."
You will encounter 'cost' in almost every environment, from the local grocery store to high-level political debates. In a retail setting, it is the most common way to ask about value. In news reporting, it is used to describe the 'human cost' of disasters or the 'political cost' of a new law.
- At the Market
- 'How much do these apples cost?'
- In the Office
- 'The new software will cost us a lot of time to learn.'
- In Literature
- 'It cost him his soul to achieve his dreams.'
In movies and TV shows, 'cost' is frequently used in dramatic moments to highlight sacrifice. For example, a hero might say, 'I'll save them, no matter what it costs me.'
The most frequent mistake for learners is the past tense. Many students want to say 'costed' because they assume it follows the regular '-ed' rule. However, for the meaning of 'having a price,' the past tense is always cost.
- ❌ The car costed $5,000 last year.
- ✅ The car cost $5,000 last year.
Another mistake is subject-verb agreement. Because 'cost' often follows 'it' or 'this,' learners forget the 's'.
While 'cost' is the most common verb for price, several synonyms offer more nuance depending on the context.
- Price (Verb)
- To put a price tag on something. 'They priced the house at $300k.'
- Charge (Verb)
- To ask for an amount as a price. 'The hotel charges $100 a night.'
- Value (Verb)
- To estimate the worth. 'The expert valued the painting at a million.'
- Expend (Verb)
- To spend or use up (formal). 'They expended much effort.'
How Formal Is It?
دليل النطق
مستوى الصعوبة
قواعد يجب معرفتها
Stative verbs in the continuous form
Irregular verb patterns
Transitive vs Intransitive verbs
Double object constructions
Subject-verb agreement
أمثلة حسب المستوى
How much does this apple cost?
Combien coûte cette pomme ?
Present simple, 3rd person singular.
It costs five dollars.
Cela coûte cinq dollars.
Subject 'it' requires 'costs'.
The shoes cost fifty euros.
Les chaussures coûtent cinquante euros.
Plural subject 'shoes' uses 'cost'.
Does the bus cost much?
Est-ce que le bus coûte cher ?
Question form with 'does'.
This milk costs two pounds.
Ce lait coûte deux livres.
Uncountable noun 'milk' is singular.
The tickets cost ten dollars each.
Les billets coûtent dix dollars chacun.
Use of 'each' with cost.
It doesn't cost anything.
Cela ne coûte rien.
Negative form with 'doesn't'.
How much do they cost?
Combien coûtent-ils ?
Question form for plural.
My new phone cost a lot of money.
Mon nouveau téléphone a coûté beaucoup d'argent.
Past tense of 'cost' is 'cost'.
The dinner cost forty dollars last night.
Le dîner a coûté quarante dollars hier soir.
Past time marker 'last night'.
It cost me two hours to finish.
Cela m'a coûté deux heures pour finir.
Using 'cost' for time.
The hotel room cost more than I expected.
La chambre d'hôtel a coûté plus que ce que je pensais.
Comparison with 'more than'.
How much did your car cost?
Combien a coûté ta voiture ?
Past tense question with 'did'.
These books cost five dollars yesterday.
Ces livres coûtaient cinq dollars hier.
Past tense plural.
The repair cost fifty pounds.
La réparation a coûté cinquante livres.
Abstract subject 'repair'.
It didn't cost very much.
Cela n'a pas coûté très cher.
Negative past tense.
The project will cost thousands of dollars.
Le projet coûtera des milliers de dollars.
Future tense with 'will'.
Bad weather cost the farmers their crops.
Le mauvais temps a coûté leurs récoltes aux fermiers.
Double object: farmers (indirect), crops (direct).
It might cost too much to fix the roof.
Cela pourrait coûter trop cher de réparer le toit.
Modal verb 'might'.
The mistake cost him a lot of trouble.
L'erreur lui a coûté beaucoup d'ennuis.
Abstract cost (trouble).
How much is it going to cost?
Combien cela va-t-il coûter ?
'Going to' future.
The cost of living has increased.
Le coût de la vie a augmenté.
Used as a noun here, but related to the verb.
Moving house cost us a fortune.
Déménager nous a coûté une fortune.
Idiomatic 'cost a fortune'.
It cost her a lot of effort to pass.
Cela lui a coûté beaucoup d'efforts pour réussir.
Cost of effort.
The delay cost the company dearly.
Le retard a coûté cher à l'entreprise.
Adverb 'dearly' used with cost.
His arrogance cost him the promotion.
Son arrogance lui a coûté la promotion.
Metaphorical loss.
The war cost many lives.
La guerre a coûté de nombreuses vies.
High stakes usage.
It will cost you your health if you stay.
Cela te coûtera ta santé si tu restes.
Conditional consequence.
The new law cost the government many votes.
La nouvelle loi a coûté de nombreuses voix au gouvernement.
Political context.
That mistake could have cost us the game.
Cette erreur aurait pu nous coûter le match.
Modal perfect 'could have cost'.
The renovation was costed at $10,000.
La rénovation a été estimée à 10 000 $.
Technical use of 'costed' (estimated).
It costs nothing to be kind.
Cela ne coûte rien d'être gentil.
Proverbial usage.
The scandal cost the CEO her reputation.
Le scandale a coûté sa réputation à la PDG.
Abstract loss of status.
Such a move would cost the party dearly at the polls.
Un tel mouvement coûterait cher au parti dans les urnes.
Hypothetical 'would cost'.
The environmental cost of the project is too high.
Le coût environnemental du projet est trop élevé.
Noun usage in complex phrase.
It cost him his life to save the child.
Il lui en a coûté la vie pour sauver l'enfant.
Ultimate sacrifice.
The oversight cost the firm its competitive edge.
L'omission a coûté à l'entreprise son avantage concurrentiel.
Business strategy context.
They had not costed the risks properly.
Ils n'avaient pas correctement évalué les risques.
Past perfect 'costed' (calculated).
The victory cost more than they were willing to pay.
La victoire a coûté plus qu'ils n'étaient prêts à payer.
Nuanced meaning of 'pay' and 'cost'.
The decision cost her the support of her family.
La décision lui a coûté le soutien de sa famille.
Social consequence.
The hubris of the administration cost them the mandate.
L'orgueil de l'administration leur a coûté le mandat.
High-level vocabulary (hubris, mandate).
One false move could cost you everything.
Un seul faux pas pourrait tout vous coûter.
Existential stakes.
The implementation was meticulously costed by the auditors.
La mise en œuvre a été méticuleusement chiffrée par les auditeurs.
Passive voice, technical 'costed'.
It cost the nation its soul to win the war.
Il a fallu à la nation son âme pour gagner la guerre.
Deeply metaphorical.
The compromise cost him his integrity.
Le compromis lui a coûté son intégrité.
Moral consequence.
The true cost of the policy is only now becoming apparent.
Le véritable coût de la politique ne devient apparent que maintenant.
Noun phrase with 'true cost'.
He realized that his ambition had cost him his happiness.
Il s'est rendu compte que son ambition lui avait coûté son bonheur.
Past perfect 'had cost'.
The project was costed out to the last penny.
Le projet a été chiffré jusqu'au dernier centime.
Phrasal verb 'cost out'.
تلازمات شائعة
العبارات الشائعة
يُخلط عادةً مع
تعبيرات اصطلاحية
سهل الخلط
An adjective meaning expensive, whereas 'cost' is the verb.
Pronounced differently (/koʊst/), refers to the land near the sea.
Pronounced (/kɑːst/), means to throw or a group of actors.
أنماط الجُمل
كيفية الاستخدام
When meaning 'to estimate', it is dynamic and can be used in -ing forms.
When meaning 'to have a price', it is stative and usually not used in -ing forms.
-
The past tense of cost is cost.
-
Questions need the auxiliary verb 'does'.
-
Plural subject 'shoes' uses 'cost' without an 's'.
-
Cost is a stative verb and doesn't use the continuous form for prices.
-
While 'the cost is' is grammatically correct, using the verb 'costs' is more direct and common.
نصائح
The 'S' Rule
Always remember the 's' for singular subjects in the present: 'It costs.' This is the most common mistake for beginners.
Abstract Costs
Try using 'cost' for things other than money, like 'cost me my sleep' or 'cost me my patience.' It makes you sound more advanced.
Short 'O'
The 'o' in cost is a short vowel sound. Don't make it long like 'coast'.
Costing Out
In a business meeting, use 'cost out' to sound professional when discussing budget estimates.
Avoid 'Costed'
Unless you are an accountant, you probably never need to write 'costed.' Stick to 'cost' for all past tense needs.
Natural Questions
While 'How much does it cost?' is correct, 'How much is it?' is often more natural in a shop.
At all costs
Use this phrase to show you are 100% committed to a goal, no matter what happens.
Context Clues
If you hear 'It cost...', look for words like 'yesterday' or 'last week' to know it's the past tense.
Hidden Costs
In English-speaking countries, always ask about 'hidden costs' like taxes or service fees.
The Tag
Visualize a price tag on everything you see today and say 'That costs...' to practice.
احفظها
أصل الكلمة
Old French 'coster', from Latin 'constare' (to stand together, to stand at a price).
السياق الثقافي
In the US, the 'cost' on the menu doesn't include the tip, which is expected.
In some markets, the 'cost' is just a starting point for negotiation.
تدرّب في الحياة الواقعية
سياقات واقعية
بدايات محادثة
"How much did your favorite pair of shoes cost?"
"Do you think university should cost less?"
"What is something that cost you a lot of effort but was worth it?"
"Does it cost much to live in your city?"
"Have you ever made a mistake that cost you a lot of time?"
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
Write about a time a decision cost you something important.
Describe your dream house and what you think it would cost.
Reflect on the 'human cost' of a historical event.
Is there anything in life that should cost nothing but currently doesn't?
How do you feel when something costs more than you expected?
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةYes, but only in specific contexts. It is used in business or accounting to mean 'calculated the cost of something.' For example, 'The project was costed at $1 million.' For regular prices, the past tense is always 'cost'.
Usually, no. 'Cost' is a stative verb when referring to price. You should say 'It costs me a lot' or 'It is expensive.' However, in very informal speech, people sometimes use the -ing form to emphasize an ongoing drain on resources.
'Cost' is usually a verb (to have a price) or a noun (the amount paid). 'Price' is usually a noun (the amount asked for). You can 'price' an item (set its value), but the item 'costs' the buyer money.
Yes. The three forms are cost, cost, and cost. This makes it similar to verbs like 'put', 'cut', and 'set'.
You say 'How much do they cost?' or 'How much do these [items] cost?' Note that 'do' is used for plural and 'cost' does not have an 's'.
Yes. You can say 'The project cost me three weeks of work.' It implies that the time was a resource you had to spend.
It is an idiom that means something is extremely expensive.
Rarely. You wouldn't say 'The money was costed by the book.' However, you can say 'The project was costed' (meaning estimated).
As a verb, there isn't a direct single-word opposite, but 'earn' or 'gain' are often used in contexts of financial exchange.
Yes, but it usually means they caused a loss. 'He cost us the game' means his actions resulted in the team losing.
اختبر نفسك 180 أسئلة
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
The verb 'cost' is essential for discussing value and consequences. Remember its irregular forms (cost-cost-cost) and its ability to take both direct and indirect objects to show who is losing what.
- Cost (verb) primarily means to have a specific price in money.
- It is an irregular verb: the past and past participle are also 'cost'.
- It can describe non-monetary losses like time, effort, or lives.
- In technical accounting, 'costed' means to estimate the price of a project.
The 'S' Rule
Always remember the 's' for singular subjects in the present: 'It costs.' This is the most common mistake for beginners.
Abstract Costs
Try using 'cost' for things other than money, like 'cost me my sleep' or 'cost me my patience.' It makes you sound more advanced.
Short 'O'
The 'o' in cost is a short vowel sound. Don't make it long like 'coast'.
Costing Out
In a business meeting, use 'cost out' to sound professional when discussing budget estimates.
مثال
I cost every day.
محتوى ذو صلة
تعلّمها في السياق
هذه الكلمة بلغات أخرى
عبارات ذات صلة
مزيد من كلمات Business
abmercship
C1متعلق بحالة من الاستقلال التام عن الأسواق التجارية والتأثيرات التجارية. يصف الأنظمة أو السلوكيات أو الكيانات التي تعمل بالكامل خارج الإطار التقليدي للتجارة والتبادل النقدي. غالبًا ما يتم استكشاف هذا المفهوم في المناقشات حول الاقتصادات البديلة والمجتمعات المقصودة.
account
A2تقديم تفسير أو تبرير لشيء حدث، خاصة عندما تكون مسؤولاً عنه.
accountant
B2المحاسب هو مهني مسؤول عن حفظ السجلات المالية وتفتيشها وتحليلها.
acquisition
B2تم الانتهاء من الاستحواذ على هذه الشركة يوم أمس.
acumen
B2تُعتبر بصيرتها التجارية مفتاح نجاح الشركة.
administrate
B2يعني الإدارة أو الإشراف على عمليات منظمة ما.
administration
C1الإدارة هي عملية تنظيم وتسيير شؤون مؤسسة أو حكومة.
administrative
C1يتعلق بإدارة أو تنظيم عمل تجاري أو مؤسسة أو حكومة.
advertisement
A1الإعلان هو إشعار أو صورة أو فيلم قصير يخبر الناس عن منتج أو خدمة أو وظيفة. هدفه الرئيسي هو إقناع الناس بشراء شيء ما أو تقديم معلومات للجمهور. الإعلان عنصر أساسي في التسويق الحديث، ويهدف إلى جذب الانتباه والتأثير على قرارات المستهلكين.
advertiser
B2المعلن هو شخص أو شركة تدفع مقابل الإعلانات. يقومون بالترويج لمنتجاتهم أو خدماتهم من خلال وسائل الإعلام المختلفة.
