How do you use "Cost an arm and a leg" in a sentence?

The car repair is going to cost an arm and a leg. That handbag costs an arm and a leg — who would pay that much? College tuition costs an arm and a leg these days.

Cost an arm and a leg

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common informal

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Significado: Extremely expensive; costing far more than expected or desired.

极其昂贵；远远超出预期或承受范围。

Extremadamente caro; que cuesta mucho más de lo esperado o deseado.

非常に高価であること。予想や希望をはるかに超える費用がかかること。

매우 비싼 것. 예상이나 기대보다 훨씬 많은 비용이 드는 것.

A dramatic way to express that something is very costly. Used for anything from car repairs to medical bills to luxury goods. The exaggeration of losing body parts emphasizes how painfully expensive something is. One of the most commonly used American idioms.

一种夸张的方式来表达某样东西非常昂贵。可用于修车费、医疗费用到奢侈品等各种东西。用失去身体部位来夸大，强调某物贵得令人肉痛。这是最常用的美式惯用语之一。

Una forma dramática de expresar que algo es muy costoso. Se usa para todo, desde reparaciones de coches hasta facturas médicas o artículos de lujo. La exageración de perder partes del cuerpo enfatiza lo dolorosamente caro que es algo. Es una de las expresiones más utilizadas en el inglés americano.

何かが非常に高額であることを表す大げさな表現。車の修理から医療費、高級品まで幅広く使われる。体の一部を失うという誇張が、いかに痛いほど高いかを強調している。最もよく使われるアメリカの慣用句の一つ。

어떤 것이 매우 비싸다는 것을 과장되게 표현하는 방법이다. 차 수리비부터 의료비, 명품까지 다양하게 사용된다. 신체 부위를 잃는다는 과장이 비용이 얼마나 고통스럽게 비싼지를 강조한다. 가장 흔히 사용되는 미국 관용구 중 하나이다.

Ejemplos

The car repair is going to cost an arm and a leg.
修车要花一大笔钱。
La reparación del coche va a costar un ojo de la cara.
車の修理には目が飛び出るほどの費用がかかりそうだ。
차 수리비가 엄청나게 들 것 같다.
That handbag costs an arm and a leg — who would pay that much?
那个手提包贵得离谱——谁会花那么多钱？
Ese bolso cuesta un riñón, ¿quién pagaría tanto?
あのハンドバッグはべらぼうに高い——誰がそんなに払うの？
저 핸드백은 터무니없이 비싸—누가 그런 돈을 낸다고?
College tuition costs an arm and a leg these days.
现在的大学学费贵得要命。
La matrícula universitaria cuesta un dineral hoy en día.
最近の大学の学費はとんでもなく高い。
요즘 대학 등록금은 정말 어마어마하게 비싸다.

Pronunciación

Guía de uso

Contexto: shopping, finances, complaints

Tono: dramatic, complaining

✓ Correcto

That cost an arm and a leg.
That cost an arm and a leg.
Eso costó un ojo de la cara.
That cost an arm and a leg.（それはものすごく高かった。）
그거 엄청 비쌌어.
It'll cost you an arm and a leg.
It'll cost you an arm and a leg.
Te va a costar un ojo de la cara.
It'll cost you an arm and a leg.（目が飛び出るほどかかるよ。）
눈이 튀어나올 만큼 비쌀 거야.

✗ Incorrecto

Using it around amputees or people with limb differences requires sensitivity — the idiom is common but the imagery can feel insensitive
在截肢者或肢体残障人士面前使用需要注意分寸——这个惯用语很常见，但意象可能让人感到不适
Usarlo delante de personas amputadas o con diferencias en las extremidades requiere sensibilidad: la expresión es común pero la imagen puede resultar insensible
手足に障がいのある方の前で使うときは配慮が必要——よく使われる慣用句だが、イメージが無神経に感じられることがある
절단 장애인이나 팔다리에 차이가 있는 사람 근처에서 사용할 때는 배려가 필요하다—흔한 관용구이지만 이미지가 불쾌하게 느껴질 수 있다

Origen e historia

Origin uncertain. One popular but unverified theory links it to portrait painting — full-body portraits (with arms and legs visible) cost more than head-only portraits. The phrase became common in American English after World War II.

Contexto cultural

Era: 1940s-present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

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