Question

What the total number? Объясните, пожалуйста, почему здесь стоит артикль THE, ведь мы же не знаем, какое это будет определенное число. Спасибо.

Answer 1

Потому что с number всегда будет the

Answer 2

Устойчивое выражение, так же, как и 'the whole', 'all the people'.

P.S. Наверное, 'What is the total number?'

Answer 3

I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "What the total number?" It's unclear what you are asking for a total number of.

As for your question about the use of the definite article "the", it can be used to refer to a specific noun that has already been mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener. It can also be used to refer to a particular thing or things within a group or category.

In your example, it's possible that "the" is being used to refer to a specific number that has already been mentioned or is known in the context of the conversation. Alternatively, it could be used to refer to a particular type of number within a specific group, such as "the total number of employees in the accounting department". Without more context, it's difficult to say for certain why "the" is being used.