kolik
How Many or How Much
The word kolik means "how much" or "how many". It is essential for everyday questions like asking the price, the time, or someone's age.
How It Works
Everyday Phrases:
You will use kolik in many fixed daily expressions:
- Kolik to stojí? (How much does it cost?)
- Kolik je hodin? (What time is it?)
- Kolik je ti let? (How old are you?)
Grammar Rules for Kolik:
1. The Genitive Rule: When asking "how many [things]", the noun must be in the genitive case. For example, "how many children" is kolik dětí (genitive plural), not kolik děti (nominative). If you are asking "how much" of an uncountable thing, use the genitive singular (e.g., kolik času = how much time; kolik vody = how much water).
2. Neuter Singular Verbs: When the kolik phrase is the subject, it takes a neuter singular verb, just like numbers five and higher. In the past tense, this means using the -lo ending: Kolik lidí přišlo? (How many people came?).
Important Exceptions & Related Words:
- Do not use kolik for dates or order (like "what place did he finish?" - Kolikátý skončil?). Czech uses a different word, kolikátý, for that. For example, to ask the date, use the genitive form: Kolikátého je dnes? (What is today's date?).
- If you use kolik with a preposition or verb that requires a case other than the nominative or accusative (like "with how many people" or "to how many people"), the genitive rule switches off. Instead, kolik changes to kolika, and both kolika and the noun take the case required by the preposition or verb, rather than the genitive (e.g., s kolika lidmi - instrumental, Kolika lidem jsi pomohl? - dative). The good news is that kolika is the only declined form you have to memorize, as it covers all four remaining oblique cases (Genitive, Dative, Locative, and Instrumental). For prepositions or verbs that take the accusative case (like pro), kolik does not change and the noun remains in the genitive (e.g., pro kolik lidí).
- A very common and useful derivative is kolikrát (how many times), which you can use to ask about frequency (e.g., Kolikrát jsi tam byl? = How many times were you there?).
Examples (6)
- Kolik to stojí?
How much does it cost?
Word by Word: How much it costs?
The most common everyday use of 'kolik' for asking prices.
- Kolik je ti let?
How old are you?
Word by Word: How many is to you years?
The standard way to ask someone's age. Notice that 'let' is the genitive plural of 'rok' (year).
- Kolik lidí přišlo na koncert?
How many people came to the concert?
Word by Word: How many of people came to concert?
Notice the genitive plural 'lidí' and the neuter singular verb 'přišlo'.
- Kolik času potřebuješ?
How much time do you need?
Word by Word: How much of time need-you?
Because 'čas' (time) is uncountable, it takes the genitive singular form 'času'.
- S kolika lidmi jsi tam byl?
With how many people were you there?
Word by Word: With how many people were-you there?
After the preposition 's' (with), 'kolik' changes to 'kolika' and both the numeral and the noun take the instrumental case.
- Kolikrát týdně sportuješ?
How many times a week do you do sports?
Word by Word: How many times weekly do sports-you?
The word 'kolikrát' (how many times) is a very common derivative of 'kolik' used to ask about frequency.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to put the counted noun in the genitive case.
Kolik kamarádi přijde?Kolik kamarádů přijde?After 'kolik', the noun must be in the genitive case (usually genitive plural for countable people or things).
Using a plural verb instead of a neuter singular verb.
Kolik lidí tam byli?Kolik lidí tam bylo?Even though 'people' feels plural, the grammatical subject is the quantity word 'kolik', which requires a neuter singular verb (ending in -lo in the past tense). In casual speech you may also hear a plural verb, but standard Czech uses the neuter singular.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'kolik' effectively, learners need to understand the basic structure of Czech questions and be familiar with the present tense of the verb 'to be' for simple inquiries about quantity and price.
Related Patterns
- Genitive after quantities
The word 'kolik' follows the exact same genitive rules as other quantity words like 'mnoho' (many) or 'málo' (few).
Level 2 - pět a víceGenitive Plural After Five and Higher Numerals
Numbers 5 and up behave exactly like 'kolik', requiring the genitive plural and a neuter singular verb.
Level 2 - kde / kam / kdy / jakBasic Question Adverbs
'Kolik' belongs to the core set of basic question words you need to become confident with for everyday conversations.
Level 1 - kdo / coQuestion Pronouns Who and What
Like 'kdo' and 'co', 'kolik' is a fundamental question word used to gather basic information.
Level 1
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Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice kolik in Bubblegum
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