mnogo

Mnogo is a Slavic word that generally means "much" or "many" and functions as a quantitative determiner or adverb in several languages of the region. It appears in Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and the Serbo-Croatian languages (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian), where it serves to express a large amount or number and often governs the noun in the genitive case.

Etymology and related forms

The term derives from Proto-Slavic roots for quantity. Cognates include Russian много (mnogo), Bulgarian много (mnogo), Macedonian многу (mnogi) or многу (mnogu, depending on syntax), and Serbo-Croatian mnogo. Across these languages the core meaning remains constant, even as exact grammatical behavior varies.

Usage and grammar

As a quantitative determiner, mnogо typically precedes the noun and requires the noun to be in a genitive form in many languages. Examples include Russian: много воды (much water), много людей (many people). It can also function as an adverb modifying adjectives or participles, and in some contexts it forms phrases such as очень много meaning “very much/many.” In Russian, many phrases like много интересного use the genitive singular of the related noun/adjective to indicate abundance of non-countable or abstract things.

In Bulgarian and Macedonian, mnogо/mnogu/mnogu serves a similar role and can also intensify adjectives, as in много голям (very big) in some dialects or constructions. In Serbo-Croatian varieties, mnogo precedes nouns and phrases like mnogo puta (many times) are common. The exact case or agreement pattern depends on the language and the noun that follows.

See also

Quantifier, numerals, and the interplay of genitive case in Slavic grammar.