Asking the price: bao nhiêu tiền

To ask what something costs, name the thing and add bao nhiêu tiền: Cái này bao nhiêu tiền? How much is this? Tiền means money, and it's often left out: Cái này bao nhiêu? In quick Saigon speech, and in messages, bao nhiêu shrinks to nhiêu: Cái này nhiêu?

For things sold by weight or by the piece, add một and the unit: Cam bao nhiêu một ký? How much is a kilo of oranges? Dừa bao nhiêu một trái? How much is one coconut? In Hà Nội a kilo is một cân and a piece of fruit is một quả.

The answer is just the price: Ba mươi ngàn một ký. Thirty thousand a kilo. Prices are counted in thousands of đồng, so ngàn (thousand; in Hà Nội nghìn) is the word you'll hear most. At the market it's often dropped: Ba mươi.

When you're paying for several things, ask Hết bao nhiêu? How much is it altogether? For how many or how much of anything else, bao nhiêu works on its own: Anh mua bao nhiêu?