how much

how much — idiom

1. used to ask what something costs or what someone has to pay for a service, an it

1.慣用語A1
釋義

used to ask what something costs or what someone has to pay for a service, an item, or a fee

例句

How much is a cup of coffee at that café near the station?

question pattern: how much + be + subject

Aylin asked how much the train ticket would cost before she booked it.

同義詞

文法句型

how much + be + subject

how much + auxiliary + subject + cost/pay/charge

用法筆記

In this sense, 'how much' is followed by the verb 'be' or a verb like 'cost', 'pay', or 'charge'. It is NOT followed by a noun — that structure belongs to sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌How much dollars do you need?
✅How many dollars do you need?
💡Use 'how many' with countable nouns like 'dollars'.
❌How much does it cost the price?
✅How much does it cost?' or 'What is the price?
💡'Cost' already contains the idea of price; do not add 'the price'.

2. used to ask about the amount of something, especially something you cannot count

2.慣用語A1
釋義

used to ask about the amount of something, especially something you cannot count individually — such as time, sugar, water, or effort

例句

How much sugar do you like in your tea, Minh?

question pattern: how much + uncountable noun + auxiliary

Lara asked how much time they had left before the train departed.

同義詞
  • how many

    used ONLY with countable nouns — complement to 'how much'

  • what quantity of

    more formal; used in written English or technical contexts

文法句型

how much + uncountable noun + auxiliary

how much + of + determiner + noun

用法筆記

Followed directly by an uncountable noun when specifying the thing being measured. Do NOT use 'how much' with countable nouns — use 'how many' instead. When the noun is obvious from context, 'how much' can stand alone (e.g. 'How much do you need?').

常見錯誤

❌How much eggs do we need?
✅How many eggs do we need?
💡'Eggs' are countable; use 'how many'.
❌How much of students are here?
✅How many students are here?
💡Use 'how many' with countable plural nouns; 'how much of' is used with a determiner + uncountable noun ('how much of the water').