# כמה עלי לשלם



## Chaniz

Shalom all. 

What is the translation and context of use of: "*כמה עלי לשלם*"? 

Thank you.


----------



## Mjolnir

The translation is 'How much should I pay' or 'How much do I need to pay'.

The context... maybe when you buy something, but the common way of asking 'how much is it?' is כמה זה or כמה זה יוצא.


----------



## Chaniz

Thank you!


----------



## cfu507

Hi, another context:
כמה (*עוד*) עלי לשלם עבור טעויותי

I don't know if you use it in English. In this context it doesn't have to do with money. Punishments are also a payment for bad things you have done.

For example, you hit someone in school. You parents don't let you to buy something you want, to watch TV for a week, to go to a concert, to go to a mivie... They always remind you that misdemeanor.


----------



## Aoyama

In fact, it would be close to : how much "is it on me" to pay, what burden do I have to pay/answer for.
כמהhow much
 עלי on me, this part is the problem. It stresses the obligation ...
לשלם to pay
Kamah khayav ani leshalem (sorry, no Hebrew letters here) is another way to say this, with a  somewhat similar meaning


----------



## elroy

Mjolnir said:


> The translation is 'How much should I pay' or 'How much do I need to pay'.


 I agree with the second translation, but the first one isn't quite right.

"How much should I pay?" makes it sound like you're asking for someone's opinion on how much they think you should pay.

You could also say "How much do I have to pay?" or simply "How much do I owe?". 





Aoyama said:


> In fact, it would be close to : how much "is it on me" to pay,


 That's a literal translation but it doesn't make sense in English.

And a small correction:


> Kamah ani khayav ani leshalem


----------



## Mjolnir

elroy said:


> I agree with the second translation, but the first one isn't quite right.
> 
> "How much should I pay?" makes it sound like you're asking for someone's opinion on how much they think you should pay.



I mentioned the common way of asking "how much is it?" or "how much do I have to pay?" (not a literal translation for the second, but the idea is the same) in my first post. If you wanted to ask a shopkeeper how much something is, you'd use that.

"כמה עלי לשלם?" can be used as "how much should I pay?" (for example, you ask for your friend's opinion about something in an auction), though I admit it's hardly used in modern Hebrew.


----------



## Aoyama

> how much "is it on me" to pay,
> That's a literal translation but it doesn't make sense in English.


True, that's why it is in quotation marks ...



> a small correction:
> Quote:
> Kamah ani khayav /ani/ leshalem


Both are correct. The inversion of the pronoun is a bit old fashioned but very correct.


----------



## cfu507

If you wanted to ask your friend's opinion you would probably add לדעתך. If you were talking with me and didn't say לדעתך  I would not understand that you asked for my opinion.
כמה זה שווה לדעתך, כמה עלי לשלם על זה לדעתך, כמה אתה הית שם על זה (סלנג: שם כסף), כמה אתה הית משלם על זה...
מה אתה אומר, כמה עלי לשלם על זה...

In addition, עלי in this context doesn't mean "on me". It means I have to.
עלי לסדר את החדר- I have to clean up my room
עליך לקפוץ על רגל אחת 5 פעמים - you have to / need to / asked to


----------



## Mjolnir

אני מניח שזה תלוי בטון הדיבור. אם מישהו היה שואל אותי "כמה עלי לשלם?" הייתי מבין שהוא מבקש עצה, שואל לדעתי (כמובן בהקשר הנכון).

אני מסכים שהרבה יותר נפוץ להוסיף "לדעתך", ולכן הוספתי שכמעט לא משתמשים בביטוי הזה בעברית מודרנית.

חייבים לתקן את סימני הפיסוק הקופצים... זה מאוד מעצבן לכתוב שורה מיותרת כדי שהנקודה הנ"ל תהיה במקום הנכון
​


----------

