How Much, How Many, How Few

In this lesson, we learn the words for "how much" and "how many". Both of these are expressed by the words kui1 and cor3 . Both mean "how many" and "how much", but are not interchangeable. "Kui1" is more limited in scope, in that it can only be used for "how many/much", whereas "cor3" is used for both "how many/much" as well as "how few".

Except when referring to time or money, "kui1" has to be used with a classifier. For example, kui1 tiam4 means "what time?" while kui1 lui1 means "how much (what price)?" (the word lui1 means money).

Apart from these, a classifier is required, for example kui1-boey1 hu2 (how many fish), kui1-ciak1 kay1 (how many chickens), etc. whenever the classifier is followed by the noun it classifies, it is hyphenated to the number or question word in front of it.

Where the antecedent (the item referred) is understood, we may drop it in our question. For example, we may say, "kui1 leh2" , which would mean "how many", where "how many what" is understood. We may also use a more exact classifier, for example, "kui1 boey4" , which would also translate as "how many", but as we understand that boey4 is a classifier for fish, we know from context that that question is referring to fish. If we use a different classifier, for example, "kui1-tay3" , that would mean, "how many pieces". The classifier tay3 translates to English as "pieces". The difference between Penang Hokkien and English is that in Penang Hokkien, the classifiers are always stated whereas in English, it is often implied.

In the example, "kui1 boey4", the classifier "boey4" cannot be directly translated into English. On the other hand, in the example, "kui1 tay3", the classifier "tay3" is directly translated as "piece".

For uncountable nouns, we count instead the container which holds in, as in the English "how many cups of tea", "how many bottles of milk". In such instances, we add -eh3, which roughly translates here as "of". So, "how many cups of tea" is "kui1-au1-eh3 teh2" , "how many bottles of milk" is "kui1-kuan3-eh3 gu3leng1" .

You can also use "kui1 with countable nouns held within a container, for example "how many boxes of pencils" (kui1-ak1-eh3 en3pit3 ), "how many baskets of rambutans" (kui1-nah2-eh3 ang3mor3tan1 ).

The word "cor3" can be translated roughly as "how" as in "how many" or "how few". Unlike "kui1", it is usually used with adjectives and adverbs. For measuring time, you use cor3 to mean "how long?" (cor3 ku4 ), "how fast" (cor3 khuai3 , cor3 mae4 , cor3 kin4 ) or "how slow" (cor3 ban33 )

In all other instances, cor3 has to be used with ce33 (a lot of) or cio4 (a little of). Therefore, if you can use it in reference to money, it could be cor3 ce33 lui1 (how much money) or cor3 cio1 lui1 (how little money). It can also be used with classifiers, for example, with the general classifier leh2: cor3 ce33 leh2 (how many), or cor3 cio1 leh2 (how few), or with a more specific classifier: cor3 ce33 tay3 (how many pieces), or cor3 cio1 tay3 (how few pieces).

"Cor3" has a wider scope than "kui1", as you can use "cor3" for "how many/much" (cor3 ce33) as well as "how few/little" (cor3 cio4). Kui, in comparison, is used only for "how many/much", not for "how few/little". Like kui1, you can use it to count the containers, for example, "how many cups of tea" is "cor3 ce33-au1-eh3 teh2" , "how few cups of tea" is "cor3 cio1-au1-eh3 teh2" , "how many bottles of milk" is "cor3 ce33-kuan3-eh3 gu3leng1" , "how few bottles of milk" is "cor3 cio1-kuan3-eh3 gu3leng1" . It is also used with countable nouns, so "how many boxes of pencils" is "cor3 ce33-ak1-eh3 en3pit3" , "how few boxes of pencils" is "cor3 cio1-ak1-eh3 en3pit3" , "how many baskets of rambutans" is "cor3 ce33-nah2-eh3 ang3mor3tan1" and "how few baskets of rambutans" is "cor3 cio1-nah2-eh3 ang3mor3tan1."

"Kui1 leh2" and "cor3 ce33 leh2" both mean "how many" or "how much". However, "how few" is limited to "cor3 cio1 leh2". "Kui1" is always used with countable nouns (for example, kui1-boey1 hu2, how many fish; kui1-keng3 chu3, how many houses, etc.) whereas "cor3 ce33" is used with both countable and uncountable noun (for example, cor3 ce33 hu2, how many fish, cor3 ce33 chu3, how many houses, as well as, cor3 ce33 chooi4, how much water; cor3 ce33 thng2, how much sugar, etc.)

Apart from the aforementioned "kui1 tiam4" and "kui1 lui1", the word "kui1" always goes with a classifier. In comparison, the classifier is optional when you use cor3 ce33 and cor3 cio4. Therefore, to say "how many fish", you can write cor3 ce33 hu2 as well as cor3 ce33-boey1 hu2. The classifier "boey4" is optional. On the other hand, the classifier is not optional if you use kui1. To ask the same question, "how many fish" using kui1, you have to say, "kui1-boey1 hu2", not "kui1 hu2".

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