mboy / mbovy
How Many and How Much
Mboy and mbovy ask how many or how much.
How It Works
Use mboy or mbovy where English says “how many” or “how much”. Speakers use both.
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mbovy arýpa reguereko? | How old are you? (How many years do you have?) |
| Mbovýpa hepy? | How much does it cost? |
| Mboy mitã oĩ nde rógape? | How many children are there in your house? |
The noun after the word needs no plural ending: mboy mitã “how many children”.
When -pa joins the word, the stress stays on the last syllable and gets an accent: mbovýpa, mboýpa.
In a statement, mbovy can also mean “few”. That use has its own entry.
Examples (4)
- Mbovy arýpa reguereko?
How old are you?
Mbovy asks how many, and ary “year” follows it.
- Mbovýpa hepy?
How much does it cost?
Mbovy asks how much; hepy is the price.
- Mboy peime?
How many of you are there?
Mboy is the second form and means the same as mbovy.
- Mboy mitã oĩ nde rógape?
How many children are there in your house?
The noun mitã needs no plural ending after mboy.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Mboy and mbovy work with the question marker -pa, so -pa comes first.
Related Patterns
- reko / guerekoHaving Something
Is the verb in the question about age.
Level 1 - peteĩ / mokõi / mbohapy / irundyCounting to Four
Gives the numbers that answer the question.
Level 1 - heta / mbovy / opa / ambueMany, Few, All and Other
Shows mbovy meaning few in a statement.
Level 2 - Numbers Above Four
Gives the Spanish numbers used for larger counts.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice mboy / mbovy in Bubblegum
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