DELE A2 Guide: Spanish Quantifiers and Intensifiers

← Return to DELE A2 Grammar Hub

→ Want to practice first? Try our Quantifiers Quiz!

Key Takeaways

• Master essential quantifiers: mucho, poco, bastante, demasiado
• Learn common intensifiers: muy, bastante, tan, demasiado
• Understand gender and number agreement rules
• Practice with DELE-focused examples for speaking and writing tasks

Welcome to your complete guide to Spanish Quantifiers and Intensifiers. These essential words help you express quantity and degree, making your Spanish more precise and natural. Mastering these will significantly improve your performance in the DELE A2 exam, especially in describing quantities and expressing opinions.

What are Quantifiers and Intensifiers?

Quantifiers indicate quantity or amount:

• mucho (much/many), poco (little/few), bastante (enough/quite a lot)

Intensifiers indicate degree or intensity:

• muy (very), bastante (quite), demasiado (too)

Essential Quantifiers

1. Mucho/Poco (Much/Many – Little/Few)
These change according to gender and number:

Form	Usage	Example
mucho	masculine singular	mucho tiempo (much time)
mucha	feminine singular	mucha agua (much water)
muchos	masculine plural	muchos libros (many books)
muchas	feminine plural	muchas casas (many houses)
poco	masculine singular	poco dinero (little money)
poca	feminine singular	poca sal (little salt)
pocos	masculine plural	pocos amigos (few friends)
pocas	feminine plural	pocas sillas (few chairs)

2. Bastante (Enough/Quite a lot)
Works the same way as mucho/poco:

• “Tengo bastante tiempo.” (I have enough time.)
• “Hay bastantes problemas.” (There are quite a few problems.)

3. Demasiado (Too much/Too many)
Also agrees in gender and number:

• “Demasiado azúcar no es bueno.” (Too much sugar isn’t good.)
• “Hay demasiadas personas.” (There are too many people.)

Essential Intensifiers

1. Muy (Very)
Used before adjectives and adverbs:

• “El examen es muy difícil.” (The exam is very difficult.)
• “Hablas muy rápido.” (You speak very fast.)

2. Bastante (Quite/Fairly)

• “La película es bastante buena.” (The movie is quite good.)
• “Estoy bastante cansado.” (I’m fairly tired.)

3. Demasiado (Too)

• “Es demasiado caro.” (It’s too expensive.)
• “Llegas demasiado tarde.” (You arrive too late.)

4. Tan (So)
Often used with “como” (as) for comparisons:

• “No es tan difícil como piensas.” (It’s not as difficult as you think.)
• “¡Estás tan elegante!” (You look so elegant!)

Important Grammar Rules

1. Position in Sentence:

• Quantifiers usually come BEFORE nouns:
  • “mucho trabajo” (much work)
  • “pocos estudiantes” (few students)
• Intensifiers come BEFORE adjectives/adverbs:
  • “muy interesante” (very interesting)
  • “demasiado rápido” (too fast)

2. Gender and Number Agreement:
Quantifiers must match the noun they describe:

• “mucha paciencia” (much patience – feminine)
• “muchos problemas” (many problems – masculine plural)

3. Using “Hay” with Quantifiers:

• “Hay mucho tráfico.” (There’s a lot of traffic.)
• “Hay pocas sillas.” (There are few chairs.)

DELE A2 Practical Scenarios

Shopping and Prices:

• “Es demasiado caro.” (It’s too expensive.)
• “Tengo poco dinero.” (I have little money.)
• “Necesito bastantes cosas.” (I need quite a few things.)

Describing People and Places:

• “Mi ciudad es muy bonita.” (My city is very pretty.)
• “Hay muchos restaurantes buenos.” (There are many good restaurants.)
• “Tengo pocos amigos aquí.” (I have few friends here.)

Daily Routines:

• “Tengo mucho trabajo.” (I have a lot of work.)
• “Duermo poco los fines de semana.” (I sleep little on weekends.)
• “Estoy bastante ocupado.” (I’m quite busy.)

Common Expressions

• “muchas gracias” (thank you very much)
• “mucho gusto” (nice to meet you)
• “poco a poco” (little by little)
• “tan pronto como” (as soon as)

DELE A2 Exam Tips

1. Speaking Section: Use quantifiers when describing photos or daily life
2. Writing Section: Show variety in your use of intensifiers
3. Listening Section: Recognize quantity expressions in conversations
4. Key Areas: Describing quantities, expressing opinions, making comparisons

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t forget gender/number agreement with quantifiers
• Don’t use “muy” with verbs (use “mucho”)
• Remember the difference between “bastante” and “demasiado”
• Practice the position rules – they’re crucial

Special Cases

1. Muy vs. Mucho:

• Muy + adjective/adverb: “muy rápido” (very fast)
• Mucho + noun: “mucho tiempo” (much time)

2. Tan vs. Tanto:

• Tan + adjective/adverb: “tan grande” (so big)
• Tanto + noun: “tanto dinero” (so much money)

Memory Tips

• Muy for very (before adjectives)
• Mucho for much (before nouns)
• Tan for so (before adjectives)
• Tanto for so much (before nouns)

Next Step: Test Your Knowledge!
Ready to master quantifiers and intensifiers?

Take our DELE A2 Quantifiers Quiz here to ensure you’re prepared for the exam.

What’s Next in Your DELE A2 Journey?

• Need more adjective practice? Review DELE A2 Adjectives
• Ready for comparisons? Study DELE A2 Comparatives and Superlatives
• Want related topics? Learn DELE A2 Demonstratives
• Practice all A2 grammar? Return to DELE A2 Grammar Hub

Looking for a deeper dive?
This guide covers the essentials for the DELE A2 exam. If you want to explore more quantifiers, additional intensifiers, and more complex usage rules, check out our complete guide: Spanish Quantifiers and Intensifiers: The Complete Guide