колко

Asking How Much and How Many

Level 1Sounds Like kolko

Колко means "how much" or "how many": Колко струва? (How much does it cost?) Колко деца имате? (How many children do you have?)

How It Works

Price: Колко струва? (How much does it cost?) Колко струват ябълките? (How much are the apples?) The verb agrees with the thing that costs.

Number: Колко деца имате? (How many children do you have?) Колко хора има? (How many people are there?)

Amount: Колко вода пиеш на ден? (How much water do you drink a day?) Колко време имаме? (How much time do we have?)

The count form after колко: Masculine nouns for things and animals use the special бройна форма after колко, just as after numbers:
колко билета (how many tickets), колко стола (how many chairs)
Nouns for people keep the plural: колко приятели (how many friends).

Set phrases: Колко е часът? (What time is it? See колко е часът.) На колко години си? (How old are you? See на колко години.)

Exclamations: Колко also means "how" or "so many" in exclamations: Колко хубаво! (How nice!) When it expresses surprise rather than asking for a number, a masculine noun takes the ordinary plural: Колко автомобили! (So many cars!) See възклицания с колко и какъв.

Examples (6)

  1. Колко струва този хляб?

    How much does this bread cost?

    Word by Word: How-much costs this bread?

  2. Колко деца имате?

    How many children do you have?

    Word by Word: How-many children you-have?

  3. Колко билета искате?

    How many tickets would you like?

    Word by Word: How-many tickets you-want?

    Билета is the count form of билет (ticket), used after колко.

  4. Колко време имаме?

    How much time do we have?

    Word by Word: How-much time we-have?

  5. Колко е часът?

    What time is it?

    Word by Word: How-much is hour-the?

  6. Колко хубаво!

    How nice!

    Word by Word: How-much nice!

Common Mistakes

  • Asking someone's age with колко alone.

    Колко години си?
    На колко години си?

    Age is asked with на колко години: literally "at how many years are you?"

  • Using the ordinary plural of a masculine thing after колко.

    Колко билети искате?
    Колко билета искате?

    After колко, masculine nouns for things and animals take the count form, here билета.

  • Keeping струва singular for plural things.

    Колко струва ябълките?
    Колко струват ябълките?

    The verb agrees with what is being priced. Ябълките is plural, so use струват.

How It Connects

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колкоLevel 1Asking How Much and How Many

Words in This Pattern

колкострувам