HSK 2

几

jǐ

several

Structure

几 + Measure Word + Noun

How it works

When '几' is used as an indefinite pronoun, it means 'a few' or 'several.' It is typically used for small quantities, usually between one and ten, and must be followed by a measure word before the noun.

Examples

桌子上放着几本书。

Zhuōzi shàng fàngzhe jǐ běn shū.

There are several books on the table.

我这几天很忙。

Wǒ zhè jǐ tiān hěn máng.

I've been very busy these past few days.

我想买几件衣服。

Wǒ xiǎng mǎi jǐ jiàn yīfu.

I want to buy a few pieces of clothing.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the measure word between '几' and the noun, e.g., saying '几书' instead of '几本书'.

Tip

If the number is clearly larger than ten, use '一些' (some) instead of '几'.

More HSK 2 grammar

要最十几几十 V不V or A不A 是不是……？每 M N (都) V 多 A

See 几 in real Chinese

Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.

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