Viel vs Viele
In German, deciding between viel and viele hinges on whether the noun is countable, so paying attention to that distinction guides you to the right form.
Viel
Use viel with uncountable nouns that refer to mass, substance, or abstract amounts, and it often appears with singular nouns or no noun at all when talking about large quantity.
Viele
Use viele with plural, countable nouns when you can enumerate individual items, so it agrees with the noun's plural form and emphasizes number rather than mass.
Examples
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🌾 Wir haben auf dem Feld viel Getreide geerntet. | We harvested a lot of grain in the field. | Uncountable noun with viel |
| 🧺 Auf dem Markt gab es viele bunte Körbe mit Obst. | There were many colorful baskets of fruit at the market. | Countable noun with viele |
| 🚜 Der Traktor hat viel Heu aufgeladen. | The tractor loaded a lot of hay. | Uncountable noun with viel |
| 🍎 Wir haben viele Äpfel in den Korb gelegt. | We put many apples into the basket. | Countable noun with viele |
| 🌧️ Es gab viel Regen, und das Feld wurde matschig. | There was a lot of rain, and the field became muddy. | Uncountable noun with viel |
| 🐓 Auf dem Hof laufen viele Hühner frei herum. | Many chickens are running around the farm. | Countable noun with viele |
Summary
Remember: use viel for uncountable or singular mass nouns and viele for plural, countable nouns; switching them changes the meaning and sounds unnative.
Keep practicing by sorting nouns into countable and uncountable categories and using viel and viele in short sentences about amount.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025