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ilan

ilán with stress marks

how many

interrogative pronoun i-LAN Native origin Common
Illustration of "ilan" (how many)

Usage Note

Ilan is used to ask for the specific count of people or objects and is typically followed by the linker -ng or na when preceding a noun. It is essential for daily interactions, such as asking for the number of items when shopping or inquiring about the size of a group.

Examples

Beginner

" Ilan ang gusto mo? "

Natural Translation

How many do you want?

Literal Translation

How-many the want your?

Intermediate

" Ilan ang kapatid mo? "

Natural Translation

How many siblings do you have?

Literal Translation

How-many the sibling your?

Advanced

" Hindi ko alam kung ilan ang dapat kong bilhin, kaya magtatanong muna ako sa nanay ko. "

Natural Translation

I don't know how many I should buy, so I'll ask my mother first.

Literal Translation

Not I know if how-many the should I buy, so will-ask first I to mother my.

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