How much I owe you meaning

Is the expression "how much do I owe you?" used commonly?

Can I use it instead of "how much is it" or "what's the money"??

Thank you!!! It couldn't be more helpful!!!

I agree with the previous posters, but note that "what's the money" is not correct, at least for this AE speaker.

A very colloquial replacement for "What do I owe you?" is "What are the damages?" I might use that in a local bar, but not in a nice restaurant, nor in a store of almost any sort. It's also normally used when you buy several things, the cost of which has to be totaled up.

Hello everyone,

I sometimes see this expression in my textbook. I understand this is used when you have decided to buy something and you bring it to the shopkeeper to ask how much it is.

Is this really used in everyday conversation? The reason I ask you is that it sounds a little strange, because you actually are not in debt.

Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone,

I sometimes see this expression in my textbook. I understand this is used when you have decided to buy something and you bring it to the shopkeeper to ask how much it is.

Is this really used in everyday conversation? The reason I ask you is that it sounds a little strange, because you actually are not in debt.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, I think it's common enough.

I have always thought that it's a polite way of asking the price, instead of saying "How much are you going to charge me?" (sounds like the owner is taking advantage of you), we say "How much do I owe you?", after all, when you take possession of the item in question, you do owe the previous owner something in return.

Hello everyone,

I sometimes see this expression in my textbook. I understand this is used when you have decided to buy something and you bring it to the shopkeeper to ask how much it is.

Is this really used in everyday conversation? The reason I ask you is that it sounds a little strange, because you actually are not in debt.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, Akasaka, we do use this phrase in conversation, often when ordering a round of drinks in a bar, or making a selection of inexpensive sweets for children. It is also used when speaking to taxi drivers (on arriving at your destination).

Yes, I think it's common enough.
we say "How much do I owe you?", after all, when you take possession of the item in question, you do owe the previous owner something in return.

Hi nichec,
So nice to see you again. I understand your logic.

Hello.

1) What abou the price?
2) What's it worth?
3) How much do you want for it?
4) How much do you say it is?
5) What do I owe you?

Do these phrases mean the same as "How much do I owe you?"
Are they commonly used?

Hello.

1) What abou the price?
2) What's it worth?
3) How much do you want for it?
4) How much do you say it is?
5) What do I owe you?

Do these phrases mean the same as "How much do I owe you?"
Are they commonly used?

1) through 4) sound curt and abrupt to me. 1) doesn't even sound logical. If you take an item to the cashier and want to know the price, saying "How much is this, please?" seems to be a polite way of ascertaining the price. If you've determined to buy it without knowing the price, I could see saying "How much do I owe you?" or "What do I owe you?" as the cashier rings it in.

How much do I owe you is a very, very common sentence, but it is not something I would say to a shopkeeper or to the clerk in a store.

If I were asking the price of an item in a shop, I would ask "How much is this?", or "How much does this cost?"

I would use the sentence you were asking about, however, if (for example) a co-worker had been going out to buy his lunch and asked if I wanted him to get something for me as well. Suppose I had told him I wanted a chicken salad sandwich, and he has bought one on my behalf with his money and is now delivering the sandwich back to me. At that point, since I have not yet paid my co-worker for the sandwich, and there was no reason to expect that he should pay for my lunch, I would say to him:
"So, how much do I owe you?"

Similarly (if I may continue GWB's train of thought), if a shopkeeper helps load the merchandise into my car, notices I have a flat tire, and helps me change it, I would of course ask "How much do I owe you?" before driving off.

Hello,I'm also having some problem with this. What I don't understand is the meaning of the word 'owe' here. I looked in dictionary and find out these meaning as 'to be in debt to' but I'm not clear with this meaning in the above phrase. Anyone could clear this please. I want to know other meanings for this word 'owe' with some examples also please. I've done all my efforts but I'm unable to understand.

Hi, Hem Dinesh.

We are asking the question "How much (money) do I owe you?" or "How much is my debt (for services rendered or goods tendered)?".

Think of a trade, an exchange, in which person A gives something to person B at the same that person B gives something of equal value to person A. That would be the complete transaction. But imagine that A has done his part, but B has not done his part yet. B owes A something equal in value to what A has given him. In other words B has a debt in the amount of the value of the thing that A has given to B.

Debts are commonly paid using money, assuming each thing (or service) is equal in value to some determinable amount of money, so "How much do I owe you?" means "How much money do I pay you to complete this transaction?".

Some of the other posters say that they might ask this question of a shopkeeper before any part of the transaction is done, in anticipation of the trade, in other words before anyone is in debt. GWB and I say we would not ask this particular question in such a case.

Does that help?