Bedeutung
To be extremely expensive.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Spain, people are very expressive about money. Using 'un riñón' is a standard way to complain about the rising cost of electricity or gas. While 'un riñón' is understood, Mexicans might also say 'me costó un ojo de la cara' or use the word 'carísimo' with a lot of emphasis. In Argentina, due to high inflation, this phrase is used daily. It's often accompanied by a gesture of touching the side of the body. Colombians might use this phrase in a slightly more formal way than Spaniards, but it remains a staple of casual marketplace talk.
Use it for drama
Don't use it for a 5-euro coffee unless you are being very sarcastic. Save it for big purchases.
Check your audience
It's safe for most people, but avoid it in very formal legal or medical settings.
Bedeutung
To be extremely expensive.
Use it for drama
Don't use it for a 5-euro coffee unless you are being very sarcastic. Save it for big purchases.
Check your audience
It's safe for most people, but avoid it in very formal legal or medical settings.
Combine with 'me'
Adding 'me' (Me costó...) makes it sound more natural and personal.
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'costar'.
Esa casa ________ un riñón.
The subject 'esa casa' is third person singular, so we use 'cuesta'.
Which phrase means 'It's very expensive'?
¡Ese coche...!
The idiom is 'costar un riñón'.
Match the situation to the most likely reaction.
You see a pair of shoes that cost 1,000 euros.
1,000 euros for shoes is an exorbitant price, fitting the idiom.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ¿Te gusta mi reloj? B: Sí, pero seguro que...
The idiom 'te costó un riñón' is the natural way to comment on an expensive-looking item.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Price Intensity
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenEsa casa ________ un riñón.
The subject 'esa casa' is third person singular, so we use 'cuesta'.
¡Ese coche...!
The idiom is 'costar un riñón'.
You see a pair of shoes that cost 1,000 euros.
1,000 euros for shoes is an exorbitant price, fitting the idiom.
A: ¿Te gusta mi reloj? B: Sí, pero seguro que...
The idiom 'te costó un riñón' is the natural way to comment on an expensive-looking item.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it's not rude, but it is informal. It's perfectly fine for friends and family.
No, you don't say a person 'cuesta un riñón' unless you are talking about their professional fee.
Yes, it is widely understood and used throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
They are interchangeable. 'Cuesta un riñón' and 'Vale un riñón' mean the same thing.
Sometimes people say 'me costó los dos riñones' for extra emphasis, but 'un riñón' is the standard.
Yes, use 'es extremadamente caro' or 'tiene un precio prohibitivo'.
Because it's a vital organ. It represents a part of yourself you can't easily give up.
Yes, 'me costó un riñón' is very common for things you already bought.
Exactly. It's the direct cultural equivalent.
Yes, like 'me costó un riñón terminar la tarea'. It means it was very hard.
Verwandte Redewendungen
costar un ojo de la cara
synonymTo cost an eye from the face
valer un potosí
similarTo be worth a fortune
estar por las nubes
similarTo be in the clouds
ser un chollo
contrastTo be a bargain
tirar la casa por la ventana
builds onTo throw the house out the window
