Using cuánto + noun to ask how much/how many in Spanish (interrogative adjective)

Take the fastest path to fluent Spanish

Cuánto + noun in Spanish

To ask "How much" or "How many"  of something in Spanish we use interrogative word "cuánto".

Have a look at the following examples:

¿Cuánto café tenemos?How much coffee do we have?

¿Cuánta sal pongo en el guiso?How much salt shall I put in the stew?

¿Cuántos amigos van a tu fiesta?How many friends are going to your party?

¿Cuántas semanas dura el curso?How many weeks does the course last?

Notice how cuánto agrees in gender and number with the noun it accompanies. 

  • cuánto + masculine singular noun
  • cuánt + feminine singular noun
  • cuántos + masculine plural noun
  • cuántas + feminine plural noun

Remember that there are some common questions that are not literally translated in English that use "cuánto" in Spanish:

¿Cuántos años tienes?How old are you? [lit: how many years do you have?]

¿Cuánto tiempo vas a quedarte en Madrid?How long are you staying in Madrid? [lit: how much time are you staying in Madrid?]

Remember that interrogatives have a written accent [´] : cuánto, cuánta, cuántos, cuántas.

See also 

For more advance lessons on cuánto in exclamatory sentences see also:

 

Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

¿Cuántas semanas dura el curso?How many weeks does the course last?
¿Cuánto tiempo vas a quedarte en Madrid?How long are you staying in Madrid? [lit: how much time are you staying in Madrid?]
¿Cuánto café tenemos?How much coffee do we have?
¿Cuánta sal pongo en el guiso?How much salt shall I put in the stew?
¿Cuántos amigos van a tu fiesta?How many friends are going to your party?
¿Cuántos años tienes?How old are you? [lit: how many years do you have?]
Thinking...