adjective
much, many, a lot
A1
Viel: means much, many or a lot. Used with uncountables (viel Wasser) and as viele with countable plural (viele Bücher). Comparative is mehr, superlative am meisten. It’s gradable and contrasts with wenig. Functions as adjective, pronoun or adverb depending on context.
Examples
Sie hat viele Freunde.
She has many friends.
Er trinkt viel Wasser.
He drinks a lot of water.
Ich habe viel Zeit.
I have a lot of time.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a large pile labelled 'viel' to show quantity.
Sounds like 'fill' — imagine filling up a lot.
Notes
viel is irregular in comparison: comparative 'mehr', superlative 'am meisten'.