Norwegian word choices
Mye vs mange: how much or how many?
Use mye for an amount and mange for countable things in the plural. Practise the difference with everyday examples.
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Four practice notes
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Situations, answers and short explanations.
Prompt
You describe the coffee left in the pot. Det er ___ kaffe igjen. Choose mye or mange.
Answer and explanation
Det er mye kaffe igjen. There is a lot of coffee left. Coffee is an amount here: use mye.
Prompt
You notice a large number of cups. Det er ___ kopper på bordet. Choose mye or mange.
Answer and explanation
Det er mange kopper på bordet. There are many cups on the table. You can count the cups: use mange.
Prompt
You describe the total amount of luggage. Vi har ___ bagasje. Choose mye or mange.
Answer and explanation
Vi har mye bagasje. We have a lot of luggage. Luggage is an amount here: use mye.
Prompt
You describe the number of suitcases by the door. Det står ___ kofferter ved døra. Choose mye or mange.
Answer and explanation
Det står mange kofferter ved døra. There are many suitcases by the door. You can count the suitcases: use mange.
The difference
Mye: an amount. Mye kaffe (a lot of coffee).
Mange: countable things in the plural. Mange kopper (many cups).
Look at what you count: mange kopper kaffe counts cups; mye kaffe describes the coffee itself. English “a lot of” works for both. Particular expressions can differ.
See NTNU’s explanation of countable and uncountable nouns for the grammar behind this distinction. Practice examples are original.