A simple question about the word "Quanto"

Portuguese Questions Grammar
1

I am still at A1 level and trying to understand better use of the question word - “Quanto”. My understanding is that this word takes the gender and plurality of the noun it refers to.

If I ask - How much is the chair? So, Why is it that this is “Quanto custa uma caderia?” and not “Quanta custa uma cadeira?” given the noun in question “Cadeira”, is feminine?

I have seen the above interaction occur online, whereas, I have also seen “Quanta água gasta?” where clearly the question word take thes feminine ending. Any help here would be appreciated.

TIA

2

Olá, @orowlands. Good question.

As a quantifier, quanto is invariable when it’s linked to a verb, but variable when linked to a noun.

  • Quanto custa uma cadeira? - How much is a chair? (invariable)
  • Quantas cadeiras posso comprar com este dinheiro? - How many chairs can I buy with this money? (variable)
  • Quanto é um litro de água? - How much is 1L of water? (invariable)
  • Quanta água sobra? - How much water is left? (variable)
3

Muito obrigado!

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