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A2How to sayéta slíshkam dóraga

How to say “It’s too expensive” in Russian

The sentence that ends or restarts a negotiation — in the neuter adverb, not the adjective.

Quick answer

Э́то сли́шком до́рого.

éta slíshkam dóraga — до́рого as an adverb, not до́рогой

The options

Э́то сли́шком до́рого.That’s too expensive.
До́рого.Expensive. — one word is enough
А деше́вле есть?Is there anything cheaper?
Э́то не по карма́ну.That’s beyond my budget.
Я поду́маю.I’ll think about it. — the polite exit

до́рого, not до́рогой

Judging a situation uses the neuter adverb: до́рого, дёшево, хорошо́, пло́хо. The adjective до́рогой describes a thing — до́рогой телефо́н — and also means “dear” when addressing someone.

The polite exit

Russians rarely argue about a price in a shop. Я поду́маю or Я ещё посмотрю́ lets you leave without friction, and nobody takes it as a rejection. At a market, А деше́вле мо́жно? is fair game.

What you hear back

Есть деше́вле.We have cheaper ones.
Э́то после́дняя цена́.That’s the final price.
Сейча́с ски́дка де́сять проце́нтов.There’s a 10 percent discount at the moment.

Typical mistakes

Э́то сли́шком до́рогой.

Э́то сли́шком до́рого.

A judgement takes the neuter adverb.

бо́лее дешёвый — in speech

деше́вле

The one-word comparative is the natural form.

Check yourself

Which is correct?

The neuter adverb до́рого.

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