A very small brown mouse stands at the base of an enormous, brightly colored red apple, looking up in awe. The contrast in size illustrates the concept of great degree or magnitude.

cuán

kuahn

adverbC1

how?Used for emphasis before an adjective or adverb

Also:to what extent?Used in rhetorical questions

📝 In Action

¡Cuán hermoso es el paisaje al amanecer!

How beautiful the landscape is at dawn!

Ella no comprendía cuán rápidamente había cambiado la situación.

She did not understand how quickly the situation had changed.

¿Cuán lejos estamos de la verdad?

How far are we from the truth?

Word Connections

Synonyms

qué (what/how (informal exclamatory))
cuánto (how much (related form))

Common Collocations

cuán difícil – how difficult
cuán cierto – how true

💡 Grammar Points

Intensifier Function

Cuán is a short word used to intensify or emphasize an adjective or another adverb that immediately follows it, making the feeling or quality much stronger.

Formal Use Only

While it means the same as 'qué' + adjective in exclamations, 'cuán' is reserved for highly formal or literary contexts. In daily chat, you should use '¡Qué grande!' instead of '¡Cuán grande!'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'cuán' before a noun

Mistake: "¡Cuán libros leí!"

Correction: You must use the longer form 'cuánto/a/os/as' before nouns: '¡Cuántos libros leí!' (How many books I read!). 'Cuán' only works before descriptive words.

⭐ Usage Tips

Remember the Tilde

The accent mark (tilde) on 'cuán' is essential. It tells you that the word is being used to ask or exclaim something, giving it strong emphasis.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: cuán

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the literary word 'cuán'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

cuánto(how much) - adverb/pronoun

cuánta(how much (f.)) - adverb/pronoun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'cuán' and 'cuánto'?

'Cuánto' (and its forms cuánta, cuántos, cuántas) is used before nouns (things) and verbs, meaning 'how much' or 'how many.' 'Cuán' is a shorter, formal version used *only* before adjectives (descriptive words) and adverbs (words describing actions or manner).

Can I use 'cuán' in everyday conversation?

While grammatically correct, it will sound very old-fashioned, poetic, or overly dramatic. Native speakers almost always use 'qué' plus the adjective for exclamations (e.g., '¡Qué interesante!' instead of '¡Cuán interesante!').