Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "how much" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

сколько

Meaning: how much, how many

Pronunciation: [SKOHL'-kuh]

Part of speech: pronoun, adverb

Rank: #234 (see frequency list)

I can't believe how many presents you've got!
Photo by life's too short, licensed under CC GA 2.0

Example sentences:

Скóлько тебé лет?
How old are you? (informal)
literal How many years to you?
Cкóлько стóит э́тот платóк?
How much does this shawl cost?
Cкóлько у тебя́ учéбников по ру́сскому языку́?
How many Russian textbooks do you have? (informal)
Извини́те, Вы не скáжете, скóлько сейчác врéмени?
Could you tell me what time it is? (polite)
literal I'm sorry, couldn't you tell me what time it is now?
Cкóлько у вас подáрков!
You've got so many presents!
literal How many presents you have!
По скóльку рублéй вы ски́нулись?
How many rubles did you chip in?
На скóлько они́ уезжáют в Aнглию?
For how long are they going to England?
Cкóлько прошлó врéмени с тех пор, как Вы написáли Вáшу пéрвую статью́?
How much time has passed since you wrote your first article?
Скóльких товáрищей он прéдал!
How many friends did he betray!
Ты дáже не мóжешь себé предстáвить, к скóльким врачáм я обращáлся!
You even can't imagine how many doctors I consulted!
Cкóлько он ни сдавáл на правá, у негó ничегó не выходи́ло.
He would try to pass the driving licence test, he didn't manage to get it.
literal How many times did he take the driving licence test, noting turned out at him.
Ей бы́ло ну́жно стóлько же одéжды, скóлько бывáет у актри́с.
She needed as much clothes as actresses have.
Он не стóлько глуп, скóлько необразóван.
He's not so much silly as uneducated.
Cкóлько себя́ пóмню, я всегдá был здорóвым ребëнком.
As much as I can remember myself, I've always been a healthy child.

Idioms and set expressions:

cкóлько раз тебé говори́ть, что... = how many times do I have to tell you that...
скóлько (душé) угóдно = as much as one wants
у́жас (стрáх) скóлько = many, much
хоть скóлько = any quantity
cкóлько мóжно! = stop it!
literal how much possible

Related words:

мнóго = many, much
мáло = few, little
наскóлько = in what extent, as far as

Proverbs and sayings:

Cкóлько ни ду́май, лу́чше хлéба-сóли не приду́маешь.
Simple things are the most important.
literal You might think a lot, but you won't invent anythong better than bread and salt.
Cкóлько лет, скóлько зим!
We haven't met for ages!
literal How many summers, how many winters!
Скóлько голóв, стóлько умóв.
There're as many heads as ways of thinking.
Cкóлько вóлка ни корми́ - он всë в лес смóтрит.
He that will steal a pin will steal a pound.
literal No matter how much you feed a wolf, yet it still looks in the forest.
Скóлько верёвку ни вить, а концу́ быть.
The cord may curl long but the end must appear.

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

Got questions?

Ask them in the Russian Questions and Answers — a place for students, teachers and native Russian speakers to discuss Russian grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other aspects of the Russian language.