Combien and Combien de

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Permalink Reply by Neil Coffey on March 8, 2010 at 7:28am

As a starting point, use combien de when you've got the thing you're "counting" straight afterwards, for example: combien de pommes = how many apples.

Use combien on its own essentially when you don't have the thing you're "counting" directly afterwards. For example, when the word is right at the end of the sentence, which often happens when you're asking a question:

C'est combien? = How much is it?
Il y en a combien? = How many are there?, How much is there?

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Permalink Reply by Petite Fille on March 8, 2010 at 6:34pm

Then how to form a question with "combien" and "est-ce que"?
Can I ask "Combien est-ce que c'est?"
" Combien de langues parlez-vous?" is that right?
Making a question is troubling me.
Meric !

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Permalink Reply by stu harris on March 8, 2010 at 1:24pm

Neil, am I right in saying that combien on its own is always good for monetary value?

Combien ca coute?
Combien avez-vous payé pour ca?

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