Much, Many, and A Lot Of

What you’ll learn

Choose quantity words that match countable and uncountable nouns.

ជ្រើសរើសពាក្យបញ្ជាក់បរិមាណឱ្យស្របនឹងនាមរាប់បាន និងរាប់មិនបាន។

Meaning and use

Use many with plural countable nouns and much with uncountable nouns. How many asks for a number of separate items; how much asks for an amount and can also ask about a price. A lot of works with both types. In everyday positive statements, a lot of is often more natural than much: We have a lot of time. Much is especially common in questions and negatives, although positive uses can be grammatical in some styles.

ប្រើ many ជាមួយនាមរាប់បានពហុវចនៈ និង much ជាមួយនាមរាប់មិនបាន។ How many សួរចំនួនវត្ថុដាច់ៗ ហើយ how much សួរបរិមាណ ឬតម្លៃ។ A lot of អាចប្រើជាមួយនាមទាំងពីរប្រភេទ ហើយជាញឹកញាប់ប្រើក្នុងប្រយោគវិជ្ជមានប្រចាំថ្ងៃ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Plural countable noun	many books; How many books?
Uncountable noun	much water; How much water?
Both types	a lot of books; a lot of water
A common negative	We don’t have much time.
A price question	How much is this bag?

Examples

1. How many students are here?

   តើមានសិស្សប៉ុន្មាននាក់នៅទីនេះ?

2. How much water do we need?

   តើយើងត្រូវការទឹកប៉ុន្មាន?

3. She has a lot of books.

   នាងមានសៀវភៅជាច្រើន។

4. We don’t have much time.

   យើងមិនមានពេលច្រើនទេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: How many books do you have?

Maly: A lot of books.

Dara: How much time do you spend reading?

Maly: About an hour every day.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
How much books do you have?	How many books do you have?	Books is plural and countable, so use many.
We have a lot water.	We have a lot of water.	Include of before the noun in a lot of water.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: How ___ chairs do we need?
2. Complete: How ___ rice do we need?
3. Complete: She has a lot ___ books.
4. Complete: We don’t have ___ time. (much / many)

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. many

   Chairs is a plural countable noun.

2. much

   Rice is uncountable in this meaning.

3. of

   The noun phrase is a lot of books.

4. much

   Time is uncountable in this meaning.

Quick recap

• Many goes with plural countable nouns; much with uncountable nouns.
• A lot of works with both types.
• Use how many for numbers and how much for amounts or prices.