Start with the sentence
Use the noun and the expected answer together. The full question-word reference also covers person, time and place questions.
Start with the answer you need
| Question expression | Look for | Example | Possible answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| wie viel / wie viele | quantity or number | Wie viele Stühle brauchen wir? | Sechs Stühle. |
Ask for the right kind of detail
Use wie viele with countable plural nouns: Wie viele Karten?. Use wie viel for an amount: Wie viel Wasser? or a price: Wie viel kostet das?. An answer such as Drei Euro tells you that the price question is intended.
Practise with the context
Replace the blank or ask for the highlighted information. Decide which answer would make the question complete before opening the explanation.
- ___ Wasser brauchen wir? – Zwei Liter.
Show answer and reason
Wie viel Wasser brauchen wir? Wasser is an amount here, not a count of individual items.
Apply the pattern to a complete question or answer
Look at the noun inside the question, not only the unit in the answer. Compare Wie viele Flaschen brauchen wir? – Vier Flaschen. with Wie viel Wasser brauchen wir? – Zwei Liter.. In the first question you count bottles; in the second you ask for an amount of water. Wie viel kostet das Ticket? asks for a price. Keep a multiword phrase such as wie viele Gläser together before the conjugated verb.
Try further contextual checks
1. Choose the count question: ___ Tassen stehen auf dem Tisch? – Vier Tassen.
Wie viele Tassen stehen auf dem Tisch?
Tassen is a countable plural noun here, so the question uses wie viele.
2. Ask for an amount: ___ Milch brauchst du? – Einen halben Liter.
Wie viel Milch brauchst du?
Milch is used as an amount in this question. The answer supplies its measure.
3. Ask the price of the ticket. Use wie viel and kosten with die Fahrkarte.
Wie viel kostet die Fahrkarte?
The information goal is price. The singular subject die Fahrkarte gives kostet.
4. Arrange a direct question: wie viele / brauchen / wir / Gläser.
Wie viele Gläser brauchen wir?
Wie viele Gläser is one question phrase. Brauchen follows that whole phrase.
A valid plural variant
For a countable plural, wie viele is a clear learning pattern. Uninflected wie viel can also occur before a plural noun. The models here use wie viele; they do not establish that every plural use of wie viel is wrong.
Start with the topic overview
German question words: meanings, answers and practice · Find another grammar topic
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