cuántos
“cuántos” means “how many” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
how many
Also: so many
📝 In Action
¿Cuántos años tienes?
A1How old are you? (Literally: How many years do you have?)
¿Cuántos libros necesitas para la clase?
A1How many books do you need for the class?
¡Cuántos problemas por una cosa tan pequeña!
B1So many problems for such a small thing!
how many
📝 In Action
Veo que tienes muchos lápices. ¿Cuántos me prestas?
A2I see you have a lot of pencils. How many will you lend me?
Necesitamos voluntarios para el evento. ¿Cuántos se apuntan?
B1We need volunteers for the event. How many are signing up?
—Llegaron los invitados. —¿Cuántos son?
A2—The guests arrived. —How many are there?
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cuántos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly asks about the number of chairs ('sillas')?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'quantus', which meant 'how great' or 'how much'. The '-os' ending was added in Spanish to show that it's talking about multiple masculine things.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'cuánto' and 'cuántos'?
Think of it like 'how much' vs. 'how many'. You use 'cuánto' for things you can't count easily, like water or time ('¿Cuánto tiempo?'). You use 'cuántos' for things you can count one-by-one, like books or friends ('¿Cuántos amigos?').
Why does 'cuántos' have an accent mark?
The accent mark is a signal that you're asking a question or making an exclamation (like 'How many?!'). The version without an accent, 'cuantos', is used for making statements, like 'Tengo cuantos necesito' (I have as many as I need).