כמה
káma/ˈka.ma/
The Hebrew phrase for "how much" is כמה (káma).
When you want to ask for the price of an item, you can use the phrase כמה זה עולה? (how much does it cost?).
Meaning: what is the cost/price? (det)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word כמה functions as both "how much" and "how many" depending on the noun that follows it.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈka.ma/ (káma). The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word כמה is related to the Arabic word kam.
- The word כמה can be used alone as an exclamation to mean 'how' in the sense of 'how beautiful' or 'how wonderful'. In these cases, it describes the intensity of a feeling rather than a numerical quantity.
- When asking כמה זה עולה?, it is common for Israelis to use a hand gesture, such as a slight shrug or a palms-up motion, to signal the start of a negotiation.
Examples in context
- כמה כסף יש לך?How much money do you have?This sentence is useful for asking about the amount of money someone possesses using כמה.Tatoeba #597643 by Eldad, translation #64597 by CK
- כמה זה בסך הכל?How much is that all together?This sentence is useful for asking for a total sum using כמה.Tatoeba #1801606 by Eldad, translation #1801609 by Tamy
- כמה זה עולה לו?How much does it cost him?This sentence is useful for asking about the cost of something using כמה.Tatoeba #2377940 by fekundulo, translation #2480900 by AlanF_US
- 260 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is buying a coffee from Rotem at a cafe.
- דניאל Danielשלום, כמה הקפה?Shalom, kama ha-kafe?Hello, how much is the coffee?
- רוטם Rotemהקפה עולה עשרה שקלים.Ha-kafe ole asara shekalim.The coffee costs ten shekels.
- דניאל Danielבבקשה, הנה העשרה שקלים.Bevakasha, hine ha-asara shekalim.Please, here are the ten shekels.
- רוטם Rotemתודה, דניאל. בתיאבון!Toda, Daniel. Betiavon!Thanks, Daniel. Enjoy your meal!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry כמה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries כמה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
