Spanish Grammar in Context

A reference grammar with video examples from the Spanish in Texas collection

  • Credits
  • Index
  • About
  • Home
  • Adjectives
    • Introduction to Adjectives
    • Adjectives – Formation and Placement
    • Comparisons and Superlatives with Adjectives
    • Past Participles as Adjectives
    • Todo
    • Indefinite Adjectives
    • Adjectives Practice
  • Adverbs
    • Introduction to Adverbs
    • Adverbs – Formation and Placement
    • Comparative Adverbs
    • Adverbs Practice
  • Conjunctions
    • Introduction to Conjunctions
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions Practice
  • Determiners
    • Introduction to Determiners
    • Definite Articles
    • Indefinite Articles
    • Possessive Determiners
    • Demonstrative Determiners
    • Expressions of Quantity
    • Determiners Practice
  • Negation
    • Introduction to Negation
    • Basic Negation: No
    • Alternate Forms of Negation
    • One-word Negative Sentences
    • Negation Practice
  • Nouns
    • Introduction to Nouns
    • Nouns – Number
    • Nouns – Gender
    • Nouns Practice
  • Prepositions
    • Introduction to Prepositions
    • Common Prepositions
    • Por vs. Para
    • Prepositions Practice
  • Pronouns
    • Introduction to Pronouns
    • Subject Pronouns
    • Direct Object Pronouns
    • Indirect Object Pronouns
    • Reflexive Pronouns
    • Order of Object Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Indefinite Pronouns
    • Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns
    • Pronouns Practice
  • Verbs
    • Introduction to Verbs
    • Tense/Mood
    • Introduction to Present Tense
      • -ar Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -er Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -ir Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
    • Ser “To Be”
    • Haber “To Have”
    • Reflexive Verbs
    • Preterit
    • Present Perfect
    • Imperfect
    • Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect
    • Pluperfect
    • Future
    • Conditional
    • Past Conditional
    • Imperative Mood (commands)
    • Introduction to Subjunctive
      • Subjunctive – Present
      • Subjunctive – Past or Imperfect
      • Subjunctive – Present Perfect
      • Subjunctive – Pluperfect
      • Tense Sequences
    • Si Clauses (If Clauses)
    • Indirect Speech
      • Indirect Speech – Present
      • Indirect Speech – Past
    • Passive Voice
    • Language Contact
    • Verbs Practice
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Practice quizzes: determiners

Expressions of Quantity

There are many ways of expressing quantity: numbers (dos perros two dogs) and indefinite articles (un perro a dog) for example. Quantities may also be expressed using adjectives and other expressions, such as bastante quite a bit or enough, un montón de a lot, poco a little or demasiado too much.

Todavía tengo bastante familia allá.
I still have quite a bit of family there.

No se nota mucho el racismo porque pues todos son, hay un montón de gente de todas las razas.
You don’t notice racism because well, there are a ton of people of all races.

Nada más me quedaba poca vida dice la enfermera.
I only had a little longer to live the nurse told me.

Here is a list of common expressions of quantity:

  • bastante/bastantes quite a bit or enough
  • mucho/mucha/muchos/muchas, much/many
  • un montón de a lot
  • poco, un poco de a little
  • demasiado/demasiada/demasiados/demasiadas too much/too many

One can express quantity by using specific nouns or adverbs of quantity, as well as measures of weight, distance, or volume, especially in reference to food. For example:

  • un bote de a jar of
  • un litro de a liter of
  • un bol de a bowl of
  • una libra de a pound of
  • un plato de a plate of
  • un trozo de a piece of
  • una botella de a bottle of
  • una porción de a serving of
  • una cucharadita de a teaspoon of
  • una pizca de a pinch of
  • una docena de a dozen
  • una taza de a cup of
  • 50 gramos de 50 grams of
  • una loncha de a slice of
  • un kilo de a kilo of
  • un vaso de a glass of

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