Spanish word

cuánto

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkwanto/

Meaning

  • adjectivehow long

Example

¿Cuánto tiempo necesitas?

How long do you need?

Illustration for cuánto (how long)

More examples

¿Sabes cuánto esfuerzo requiere este proyecto?

Do you know how much effort this project requires?

Core concept

Timeline with a length marker.

Common phrases

  • cuánto trabajo

    how much work

  • cuánto espacio

    how much space

  • cuánto esfuerzo

    how much effort

Similar words

qué: Asks about the nature, kind, or content of something.
cuál: Asks which one is meant from a set of options.
tanto: Indicates a large amount or a high degree.

Definition in Spanish

Pide 'qué cantidad' respecto a personas, objetos, tiempo o precio, y que en oraciones interrogativas y exclamativas lleva tilde: cuánto.

Word origin

Spanish cuánto comes from Latin quantus 'how great' via medieval Romance sound changes and keeps the meaning of asking amount or extent.

Usage tips

  • Cuánto carries an acute accent in questions and exclamations, while unaccented cuanto appears in non-interrogative clauses, and the form must agree with the noun when used as an adjective.

Other meanings

  • how muchadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word