HSK 2
十几
shíjǐ
(any # from 11 to 19)
Structure
十 + 几 + (Measure Word) + Noun
How it works
The structure '十几' is used to represent an approximate number between 11 and 19. The word '几' acts as a placeholder for a digit from 1 to 9, indicating 'ten and some more.'
Examples
教室里有十几位学生。
Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu shíjǐ wèi xuéshēng.
There are over a dozen students in the classroom.
我买了十几本书。
Wǒ mǎi le shíjǐ běn shū.
I bought a dozen or more books.
他来中国十几年了。
Tā lái Zhōngguó shíjǐ nián le.
He has been in China for over a dozen years.
Common mistakes
Confusing '十几' (11-19) with '几十' (multiples of ten like 20, 30, 40, up to 90).
Tip
To remember the difference, look at the position of '几': if it is at the end (十几), it's a small remainder (11-19); if it is at the start (几十), it represents how many 'tens' there are (20-90).
More HSK 2 grammar
See 十几 in real Chinese
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