Questions & Answers about Wie viel schätzt du?
Does schätzen only mean "to estimate" here, or can I use it for "to guess"?
In everyday German, schätzen is highly common for "to guess" when making an assumption. It ties in perfectly with the subjective modal verbs you are learning in this lesson. For example, you can pair them by saying Ich schätze, das muss teuer sein (I guess that must be expensive).
Why use wie viel instead of was, since in English we often ask "What is your guess?"
Because this sentence is specifically asking someone to guess a number, amount, or price. German strictly uses wie viel (how much) for quantities. If you wanted to ask for a general guess about a situation, you would use was, as in Was schätzt du, wer heute gewinnt? (What do you guess, who will win today?).
I remember learning that schätzen means "to appreciate." Is that the exact same word?
Yes, it is! Context tells you which meaning applies. With amounts, numbers, or question words like wie viel, it means "to estimate" or "to guess." When talking about people, qualities, or actions, it means "to value" or "to appreciate," like in Ich schätze deine Ehrlichkeit (I appreciate your honesty).
Is it always spelled wie viel as two words? I feel like I've seen wieviel as one word.
According to modern German spelling rules, it must always be written as two separate words: wie viel. You will often see it written as one word (wieviel) in older books published before the spelling reform, but for correct modern writing, always keep a space between them.