Cuánto, cómo, vaya and lo... que

Cuánto: what a lot

Cuánto exclaims about amount. Before a noun it agrees, like any adjective:

Before a verb it never changes and means how much:

• ¡Cuánto has crecido! - How you've grown!
• ¡Cuánto lo siento! - I'm so sorry!

Cómo: how it happens

Cómo + verb exclaims about how something is done, or how much:

With a verb, cuánto and cómo often overlap: ¡Cómo has crecido! and ¡Cuánto has crecido! both mean how you've grown, and either will do. Cuánto leans on the amount; cómo can point at the way or the degree.

Vaya: what a, with a sigh

Vaya + noun is another "what a", and it often comes with a sigh or a raised eyebrow. It comes from ir, but here it never changes:

¡Qué coche! is usually plain admiration. ¡Vaya coche! can be awe, or a dry "some car, that".

Lo... que: how, inside a sentence

To fold a "how" into a longer sentence, use lo + adjective or adverb + que. The adjective agrees with what it describes:

The lo is the neuter one from lo neuter. An adverb such as bien never changes.

Mistakes English speakers make