Cuánta

Cuánta is the feminine singular form of the Spanish interrogative and exclamative adjective cuánt(o), used to ask about or emphasize quantity with feminine nouns. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies and belongs to the cuántos/cuánto/cuánta/cuántas family. The masculine singular form is cuánto, the feminine singular cuánta, the masculine plural cuántos, and the feminine plural cuántas. These forms are used in questions and in exclamations to express quantity.

Cuánta precedes a feminine noun, for example cuánta agua, cuánta gente, or cuánta paciencia. It appears in direct questions such as ¿Cuánta agua necesitas? or ¿Cuánta gente vendrá? It also occurs in exclamations, as in ¡Cuánta paciencia tienes! The choice of form depends on the gender and number of the noun involved.

In addition to its determiner use, cuánta can function in some constructions where the noun is understood from context, though the noun is often repeated or implied. The accent on cuánta marks its status as an interrogative or exclamative word rather than a plain determiner.

Etymology and related forms: cuánta derives from cuánto, which comes from Latin quantum, via the Spanish development of interrogatives cuánto/cuánta/cuántos/cuántas. These forms are standard in Spanish grammar and widely used in everyday speech and writing. See also: cuánto, cuántos, cuántas.