mano

Asking How Many or How Much

Level 1

Mano ti …? requests a quantity: a count of items or an amount, including money.

How It Works

Use Mano ti …?, followed by the expression whose quantity you want. Possessors remain with their nouns: librona means “his or her book,” while kuartam means “your money.” In a quantity question, the book expression can refer to the person's books collectively. A location can restrict the counted group.

Mano does not change with the expected number. A singular-shaped noun can appear when several items are expected; English plural agreement does not determine the Ilocano form. Context distinguishes counting books from measuring money or asking an amount paid.

For the school question, Uppat., “Four,” can suffice. An expanded answer such as uppat a tao, “four people,” puts the numeral before the noun with a linker. Compare a total amount with a per-item rate: the manual separately gives sagmamano, “how much each?” Plain mano does not itself specify distribution.

Examples (3)

  1. Mano ti librona?

    How many books does he or she have?

    Na identifies the possessor without distinguishing gender.

  2. Mano ti tao idiay eskuela?

    How many people are at the school?

    The location restricts the group counted.

  3. Mano ti kuartam?

    How much money do you have?

    Money supplies an amount reading; m identifies its possessor.