Quick answer
Preço tells what one item costs; conta collects what is owed or names an account.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
conta
bill or account
Use conta for an amount to pay after service, or an account with a business or bank.
preço
price
Use preço for the stated cost of a product or service.
How to choose
- conta: Choose conta if the sentence points to an amount to pay after service, or an account with a business or bank.
- preço: Choose preço if the sentence points to the stated cost of a product or service.
Examples
A conta do restaurante chegou.
The restaurant bill arrived.
Qual é o preço deste livro?
What is the price of this book?
Common trap
Before ordering, you ask the preço. After eating, you ask for the conta.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with conta, then once with preço. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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