HSK 1
几 M N
jǐ M N
how many N
Structure
几 + Measure Word + Noun
How it works
The word '几' (jǐ) is used to ask about a specific quantity, usually when the expected answer is a small number (typically under 10). In Chinese, when asking for a quantity, you must include a measure word (M) between '几' and the noun (N).
Examples
你有几个中国朋友？
Nǐ yǒu jǐ gè Zhōngguó péngyou?
How many Chinese friends do you have?
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are there in your family?
你想买几本书？
Nǐ xiǎng mǎi jǐ běn shū?
How many books do you want to buy?
Common mistakes
Forgetting to include the measure word (e.g., saying '几人' instead of '几个人').
Tip
Use '几' when you expect the answer to be small (1-10); if you expect a large number or don't know the scale, use '多少' (duōshao) instead.
More HSK 1 grammar
See 几 M N in real Chinese
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