Understanding how to express “how much” in German is crucial for anyone learning the language. It’s a fundamental phrase used in countless everyday situations, from asking about the price of goods to inquiring about quantities or amounts.
This guide provides a detailed exploration of the various ways to translate “how much” into German, covering grammatical nuances, practical examples, and common pitfalls to avoid. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this article will equip you with the knowledge and skills to confidently use these essential phrases.
This article is designed for English speakers learning German, particularly those who want to improve their conversational skills and avoid common grammatical errors. By understanding the different contexts in which “how much” can be expressed, learners will be able to communicate more effectively and accurately in German.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Definition: “How Much” in German
- Structural Breakdown
- Types and Categories
- Examples
- Usage Rules
- Common Mistakes
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Definition: “How Much” in German
The English phrase “how much” can be translated into German in several ways, depending on the context. The most common translations are wie viel and wie viele. These translations are used to inquire about the quantity or amount of something. Additionally, the phrase Was kostet…? is used specifically to ask about the price of an item or service.
Wie viel is used with uncountable nouns, referring to quantities that cannot be counted individually, such as water, money, or time. Wie viele is used with countable nouns, referring to items that can be counted individually, such as books, people, or cars. Was kostet…? is a direct translation of “what does… cost?” and is used to inquire about prices.
Understanding the distinction between countable and uncountable nouns is crucial for choosing the correct translation. Using the wrong form can lead to confusion and miscommunication. For example, you would use wie viel to ask “how much water?” (Wie viel Wasser?) and wie viele to ask “how many books?” (Wie viele Bücher?).
Structural Breakdown
The structure for using wie viel and wie viele in German questions is relatively straightforward, but it’s important to pay attention to word order and case agreement. In general, the question structure follows this pattern:
Wie viel/viele + noun + verb + subject (optional) + ?
For example:
- Wie viel Geld hast du? (How much money do you have?)
- Wie viele Bücher hast du gelesen? (How many books have you read?)
When using Was kostet…?, the structure is even simpler:
Was kostet + noun + ?
For example:
- Was kostet das Buch? (What does the book cost?)
The verb “kosten” (to cost) is typically used in the third-person singular form (kostet) when referring to a singular noun, and in the third-person plural form (kosten) when referring to a plural noun. For instance: “Was kostet das?” (What does that cost?) vs.
“Was kosten die Äpfel?” (What do the apples cost?).
Types and Categories
Wie viel: For Uncountable Nouns
Wie viel is used to ask about the quantity or amount of something that cannot be counted individually. These are typically mass nouns or abstract nouns. Examples include water, time, money, and information.
For example:
- Wie viel Wasser möchtest du? (How much water would you like?)
- Wie viel Zeit hast du? (How much time do you have?)
- Wie viel Geld brauchst du? (How much money do you need?)
Wie viele: For Countable Nouns
Wie viele is used to ask about the number of items that can be counted individually. These are typically plural nouns. Examples include books, people, cars, and apples.
For example:
- Wie viele Bücher hast du? (How many books do you have?)
- Wie viele Leute sind hier? (How many people are here?)
- Wie viele Autos stehen dort? (How many cars are standing there?)
Was kostet…?: Asking About Price
Was kostet…? is used specifically to ask about the price of an item or service. It is a direct translation of “what does… cost?” and is a common phrase used in shops, restaurants, and other commercial settings.
For example:
- Was kostet das Brot? (What does the bread cost?)
- Was kostet die Fahrkarte? (What does the ticket cost?)
- Was kostet die Reparatur? (What does the repair cost?)
Examples
Wie viel Examples
The following table provides examples of how to use wie viel with various uncountable nouns. Notice how the noun is always in the singular form, even when referring to a large quantity.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel Zucker möchtest du im Kaffee? | How much sugar would you like in your coffee? |
| Wie viel Milch ist noch im Kühlschrank? | How much milk is still in the refrigerator? |
| Wie viel Zeit haben wir noch? | How much time do we still have? |
| Wie viel Geduld muss ich noch haben? | How much patience must I still have? |
| Wie viel Geld hast du dabei? | How much money do you have with you? |
| Wie viel kostet das Benzin pro Liter? | How much does the gasoline cost per liter? |
| Wie viel Öl braucht der Motor? | How much oil does the engine need? |
| Wie viel Salz soll ich hinzufügen? | How much salt should I add? |
| Wie viel Liebe kann ein Mensch ertragen? | How much love can a person endure? |
| Wie viel Hoffnung bleibt uns noch? | How much hope do we still have left? |
| Wie viel Kaffee trinkst du täglich? | How much coffee do you drink daily? |
| Wie viel Tee hast du gekocht? | How much tea did you brew? |
| Wie viel Saft ist noch da? | How much juice is left? |
| Wie viel Wasser verbrauchen wir? | How much water do we consume? |
| Wie viel Strom verbraucht dieser Fernseher? | How much electricity does this TV consume? |
| Wie viel Energie wird hier erzeugt? | How much energy is generated here? |
| Wie viel Wissen hast du dir angeeignet? | How much knowledge have you acquired? |
| Wie viel Erfahrung bringst du mit? | How much experience do you bring? |
| Wie viel Mühe hast du dir gegeben? | How much effort did you put in? |
| Wie viel Spaß hast du gehabt? | How much fun did you have? |
| Wie viel Glück hattest du dabei? | How much luck did you have with that? |
| Wie viel Wein trinkst du zum Abendessen? | How much wine do you drink with dinner? |
| Wie viel Bier habt ihr bestellt? | How much beer did you order? |
| Wie viel Fleisch essen Sie pro Woche? | How much meat do you eat per week? |
| Wie viel Reis soll ich kochen? | How much rice should I cook? |
| Wie viel Mehl benötigst du für den Kuchen? | How much flour do you need for the cake? |
| Wie viel Information hast du gefunden? | How much information did you find? |
Wie viele Examples
The following table provides examples of how to use wie viele with various countable nouns. Notice how the noun is always in the plural form.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viele Kinder hast du? | How many children do you have? |
| Wie viele Studenten sind in der Klasse? | How many students are in the class? |
| Wie viele Autos stehen auf dem Parkplatz? | How many cars are in the parking lot? |
| Wie viele Äpfel möchtest du kaufen? | How many apples would you like to buy? |
| Wie viele Seiten hat das Buch? | How many pages does the book have? |
| Wie viele Sprachen sprichst du? | How many languages do you speak? |
| Wie viele Briefe hast du geschrieben? | How many letters have you written? |
| Wie viele Eier brauchen wir für den Kuchen? | How many eggs do we need for the cake? |
| Wie viele Stühle stehen am Tisch? | How many chairs are at the table? |
| Wie viele Fenster hat das Haus? | How many windows does the house have? |
| Wie viele Tage dauert die Reise? | How many days does the trip last? |
| Wie viele Stunden arbeitest du pro Woche? | How many hours do you work per week? |
| Wie viele Minuten bleiben uns noch? | How many minutes do we have left? |
| Wie viele Sekunden sind in einer Minute? | How many seconds are in a minute? |
| Wie viele Freunde hast du auf Facebook? | How many friends do you have on Facebook? |
| Wie viele Follower hast du auf Instagram? | How many followers do you have on Instagram? |
| Wie viele Länder hast du besucht? | How many countries have you visited? |
| Wie viele Städte kennst du in Deutschland? | How many cities do you know in Germany? |
| Wie viele Filme hast du dieses Jahr gesehen? | How many movies have you seen this year? |
| Wie viele Konzerte hast du besucht? | How many concerts have you attended? |
| Wie viele Museen gibt es in Berlin? | How many museums are there in Berlin? |
| Wie viele Bibliotheken gibt es in der Stadt? | How many libraries are there in the city? |
| Wie viele Restaurants gibt es in dieser Straße? | How many restaurants are there on this street? |
| Wie viele Hotels gibt es in der Nähe? | How many hotels are there nearby? |
| Wie viele Bushaltestellen gibt es hier? | How many bus stops are there here? |
| Wie viele Bahnhöfe hat die Stadt? | How many train stations does the city have? |
Was kostet…? Examples
The following table provides examples of how to use Was kostet…? to ask about the price of various items and services.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Was kostet das Ticket nach Berlin? | What does the ticket to Berlin cost? |
| Was kostet ein Kilo Äpfel? | What does a kilo of apples cost? |
| Was kostet eine Tasse Kaffee? | What does a cup of coffee cost? |
| Was kostet die Reparatur des Autos? | What does the repair of the car cost? |
| Was kostet ein Zimmer in diesem Hotel? | What does a room in this hotel cost? |
| Was kostet der Eintritt ins Museum? | What does the entrance to the museum cost? |
| Was kostet ein Abendessen in diesem Restaurant? | What does a dinner in this restaurant cost? |
| Was kostet ein Flug nach New York? | What does a flight to New York cost? |
| Was kostet die Miete für diese Wohnung? | What does the rent for this apartment cost? |
| Was kostet ein neues Fahrrad? | What does a new bicycle cost? |
| Was kostet ein Liter Milch? | What does a liter of milk cost? |
| Was kostet ein Brot? | What does a loaf of bread cost? |
| Was kostet die Kinokarte? | What does the movie ticket cost? |
| Was kostet ein Taxi zum Flughafen? | What does a taxi to the airport cost? |
| Was kostet die Reinigung des Anzugs? | What does the cleaning of the suit cost? |
| Was kostet der Deutschkurs? | What does the German course cost? |
| Was kostet ein Handyvertrag? | What does a mobile phone contract cost? |
| Was kostet die Versicherung für das Auto? | What does the insurance for the car cost? |
| Was kostet dieses Kleid? | What does this dress cost? |
| Was kostet diese Hose? | What do these pants cost? |
| Was kostet das Werkzeug? | What does the tool cost? |
| Was kostet das Spielzeug? | What does the toy cost? |
| Was kostet die Beratung? | What does the consultation cost? |
| Was kostet die Lieferung? | What does the delivery cost? |
| Was kostet die Installation? | What does the installation cost? |
Other Useful Phrases
Here are some additional phrases related to asking about quantity and price that you might find useful:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel kostet das insgesamt? | How much does that cost in total? |
| Wie viel macht das? | How much does that come to? |
| Ist das alles? | Is that all? (referring to quantity of items purchased) |
| Gibt es einen Rabatt? | Is there a discount? |
| Haben Sie etwas Günstigeres? | Do you have something cheaper? |
| Das ist zu teuer! | That’s too expensive! |
Usage Rules
Case Agreement
In German, nouns change their form depending on their grammatical case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive). When using wie viel and wie viele, the noun that follows must be in the correct case based on its function in the sentence. However, in many simple questions, the nominative or accusative case is commonly used. For example:
- Nominative: Wie viele Studenten sind hier? (How many students are here?) – “Studenten” is the subject of the sentence.
- Accusative: Wie viele Bücher hast du gelesen? (How many books have you read?) – “Bücher” is the direct object of the verb “gelesen.”
While understanding case agreement is important for more complex sentences, learners can often start with basic nominative and accusative forms and gradually incorporate more complex grammar as they progress.
Word Order
German word order can be flexible, especially in questions. However, the position of wie viel or wie viele and the noun it modifies usually remains consistent. In a question, the interrogative phrase (wie viel/viele + noun) typically comes at the beginning of the sentence.
For example:
- Correct: Wie viel Geld hast du? (How much money do you have?)
- Incorrect: Hast du wie viel Geld?
Similarly, when using Was kostet…?, the phrase should generally come at the beginning of the sentence.
- Correct: Was kostet das Buch? (What does the book cost?)
- Incorrect: Das Buch was kostet?
Common Mistakes
One of the most common mistakes learners make is using wie viel with countable nouns and wie viele with uncountable nouns. This can lead to confusion and grammatical errors. Here are some examples of common mistakes and their corrections:
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Wie viel Bücher hast du? | Wie viele Bücher hast du? | “Bücher” (books) is a countable noun, so wie viele should be used. |
| Wie viele Wasser möchtest du? | Wie viel Wasser möchtest du? | “Wasser” (water) is an uncountable noun, so wie viel should be used. |
| Was kostet die Äpfel? (singular form) | Was kosten die Äpfel? (plural form) | When referring to plural nouns, the verb “kosten” should be in the plural form (kosten). |
| Wie viel Leute sind hier? | Wie viele Leute sind hier? | “Leute” (people) is a countable noun, so wie viele should be used. |
Another common mistake is incorrect word order. Make sure that the interrogative phrase (wie viel/viele + noun or Was kostet…?) comes at the beginning of the question.
Practice Exercises
Test your understanding of “how much” in German with these practice exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of wie viel, wie viele, or Was kostet…?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. _______ Zeit hast du für das Projekt? | Wie viel Zeit hast du für das Projekt? |
| 2. _______ Bücher hast du in deiner Bibliothek? | Wie viele Bücher hast du in deiner Bibliothek? |
| 3. _______ ein Kilo Kartoffeln auf dem Markt? | Was kostet ein Kilo Kartoffeln auf dem Markt? |
| 4. _______ Milch trinkst du jeden Tag? | Wie viel Milch trinkst du jeden Tag? |
| 5. _______ Sprachen sprichst du fließend? | Wie viele Sprachen sprichst du fließend? |
| 6. _______ der Eintritt in den Zoo? | Was kostet der Eintritt in den Zoo? |
| 7. _______ Zucker möchtest du im Tee? | Wie viel Zucker möchtest du im Tee? |
| 8. _______ Personen sind zu der Party eingeladen? | Wie viele Personen sind zu der Party eingeladen? |
| 9. _______ das neue Smartphone im Laden? | Was kostet das neue Smartphone im Laden? |
| 10. _______ Geduld braucht man, um Deutsch zu lernen? | Wie viel Geduld braucht man, um Deutsch zu lernen? |
More Challenging Exercises: Translate the following sentences into German, using the appropriate form of “how much.”
| English Question | German Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. How much does the train ticket to Munich cost? | Was kostet die Zugfahrkarte nach München? |
| 2. How many students are participating in the exchange program? | Wie viele Studenten nehmen an dem Austauschprogramm teil? |
| 3. How much coffee do you drink in the morning? | Wie viel Kaffee trinkst du am Morgen? |
| 4. How many emails do you receive every day? | Wie viele E-Mails bekommst du jeden Tag? |
| 5. How much does it cost to rent a car for a week? | Was kostet es, ein Auto für eine Woche zu mieten? |
| 6. How much time do we have before the meeting starts? | Wie viel Zeit haben wir, bevor das Meeting beginnt? |
| 7. How many kilometers is it to the next city? | Wie viele Kilometer sind es bis zur nächsten Stadt? |
| 8. How much bread do you need for the sandwiches? | Wie viel Brot brauchst du für die Sandwiches? |
| 9. How many employees work in this company? | Wie viele Mitarbeiter arbeiten in dieser Firma? |
| 10. How much does the monthly subscription cost? | Was kostet das monatliche Abonnement? |
Advanced Topics
Formal vs. Informal Usage
While the basic structures of wie viel, wie viele, and Was kostet…? remain the same in both formal and informal settings, the level of politeness and formality in the surrounding language can vary. In formal situations, you might use more polite forms of address and more complex sentence structures.
For example, instead of saying “Was kostet das?”, you might say “Könnten Sie mir bitte sagen, was das kostet?” (Could you please tell me what that costs?). Similarly, you would use the formal “Sie” instead of the informal “du.”
Regional Variations
Although the standard German phrases for “how much” are widely used, there may be regional variations in pronunciation or idiomatic expressions. These variations are generally minor and should not cause significant confusion, but it’s helpful to be aware of them. For instance, in some regions, you might hear slightly different ways of asking about prices, but Was kostet…? remains the most common and universally understood phrase.
FAQ
- Is there a difference between wie viel and wie viele?
Yes, wie viel is used with uncountable nouns (e.g., water, money), while wie viele is used with countable nouns (e.g., books, people). Using the correct form is crucial for grammatical accuracy.
- When should I use Was kostet…??
Use Was kostet…? specifically when you want to ask about the price of an item or service. It directly translates to “What does… cost?”
- Can I use wie viel with plural nouns?
No, wie viel is only used with uncountable nouns, which are typically singular. Use wie viele for plural, countable nouns.
- What is the correct word order when using wie viel or wie viele?
The interrogative phrase (wie viel/viele + noun) usually comes at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb and subject (if applicable). For example: Wie viel Geld hast du?
- How do I ask about the total cost of multiple items?
You can use the phrase “Wie viel kostet das insgesamt?” (How much does that cost in total?) or “Wie viel macht das?” (How much does that come to?).
- Is it rude to ask “Was kostet das?”
No, it is not rude to ask “Was kostet das?” in most situations. It’s a common and acceptable way to inquire about the price of something. However, in very formal settings, you might use a more polite phrasing like “Könnten Sie mir bitte sagen, was das kostet?”
- What if I’m not sure if a noun is countable or uncountable?
If you’re unsure, it’s best to check a dictionary or grammar resource. Generally, if you can count individual units of something (e.g., apples, books), it’s countable. If you can’t (e.g., water, sand), it’s uncountable.
- Are there any exceptions to the wie viel/wie viele rule?
While the rule is generally consistent, there may be some idiomatic expressions or regional variations where the usage might differ slightly. However, sticking to the standard rule will ensure clear and grammatically correct communication in most situations.
Conclusion
Mastering the use of wie viel, wie viele, and Was kostet…? is fundamental for effective communication in German. By understanding the distinction between countable and uncountable nouns and practicing the correct usage of these phrases, learners can confidently ask about quantities and prices in various contexts. Remember to pay attention to word order and case agreement to ensure grammatical accuracy.
Continue practicing with different examples and real-life scenarios to solidify your understanding. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – they are a natural part of the learning process.
With consistent effort and attention to detail, you’ll be able to use these essential phrases fluently and accurately in your German conversations.