hversu mikið
hversu mikið is the Icelandic way to say "how much" when asking about a cost or price.
This phrase is used as a determiner to inquire about the price or amount of something. While hversu mikið is common, you can also use Hvað to mean both "what" and "how much" when inquiring about a total price, such as saying Hvað kostar þetta samanlagt? to ask how much everything costs altogether.
Meaning: what is the cost/price? (det)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hversu (how) and mikið (much).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word mikið is used in its neuter form, which is the standard way to ask about an unspecified amount or price in Icelandic.
Did you know?
- If you were to use the masculine form hversu mikill instead of the neuter hversu mikið, you would be asking about the size of a person or a masculine object rather than a price.
- While hversu mikið asks for a quantity, the Icelandic word for 'price' is verð, which is a direct relative of the English word 'worth'.
- The word hversu shares a common ancestor with the Faroese word hvussu, reflecting the shared maritime history of the North Atlantic.
Examples in context
- Hversu mikið kostar kakan?How much does the cake cost?This sentence is useful for asking about the cost of a specific item using hversu mikið.Tatoeba #657281 by Swift, translation #4315018 by thegui
- Hversu mikið mun þetta kosta?How much will this cost?This sentence is useful for asking about a future cost using hversu mikið.Tatoeba #511438 by Swift, translation #4666671 by CK
- Hversu mikið ætti ég að borga í dag?How much should I pay today?This sentence is useful for asking how much one should pay using hversu mikið.Tatoeba #384126 by Swift, translation #242669 by CM
- Hvað kostar þessi bók?How much does this book cost?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katrín is buying a souvenir at a small shop.
- KatrínHversu mikið kostar þessi steinn?How much does this stone cost?
- SigurðurHann kostar tvö þúsund krónur.It costs two thousand krónur.
- KatrínÉg kaupi hann. Hversu mikið verður það samt?I'll buy it. How much will that be in total?
- SigurðurÞað verður tvö þúsund krónur, Katrín.That will be two thousand krónur, Katrín.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hversu, mikið, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
