HSK 2
几十
jǐ shí
tens of
Structure
几 + 十 (+ Measure Word) + Noun
How it works
The phrase '几十' (jǐ shí) is used to indicate an approximate number between 21 and 99. It functions similarly to 'tens of' or 'dozens of' in English, suggesting a multiple of ten followed by some units, without specifying the exact amount.
Examples
书架上有几十本书。
Shūjià shàng yǒu jǐ shí běn shū.
There are dozens of books on the bookshelf.
我们公司有几十个员工。
Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu jǐ shí gè yuángōng.
Our company has dozens of employees.
他花了几十块钱买这个本子。
Tā huāle jǐ shí kuài qián mǎi zhège běnzi.
He spent tens of yuan to buy this notebook.
Common mistakes
Don't confuse '几十' (21-99) with '十几' (11-19). '十几' means ten-odd, while '几十' means multiples of ten.
Tip
Think of the position of '几' as the number you are unsure of. In '几十', the digit in the tens place is unknown (20 or more), whereas in '十几', the digit in the units place is unknown.
More HSK 2 grammar
See 几十 in real Chinese
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