Welcome to our new lesson! In the previous session, we wrapped up our exploration of time expressions by learning how to ask and state one's age. You saw a specific use of the question word 几 (jǐ) in the phrase 你几岁了? (Nǐ jǐ suì le?), used when asking a young child their age, implying the answer will be a small number.
Today, we will build directly on that observation. The goal of this lesson is to systematically distinguish between Mandarin's two primary words for "how many" or "how much": 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshao). Mastering this distinction is crucial for asking questions about quantity, and it operates on a clear set of logical rules. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to correctly choose between 几 and 多少 based on the context and grammatical structure.
The Core Distinction: Expected Number Size
The fundamental difference between 几 and 多少 is based on the speaker's expectation about the answer's magnitude. This is the primary decision-making factor.
- 几 (jǐ) is used when you expect the answer to be a small number, typically less than 10.
- 多少 (duōshao) is used when the number is expected to be large (over 10), or when you have no idea what the answer might be.
This is why 你几岁了? is for children—you expect a single-digit answer. For an adult, where the age is over 10, you must use 你多大?.
Let's watch a very short video from Kong Mandarin that explains this core concept clearly.
Distinguish 几 from 多少 in Chinese #chinese #mandarin #beginnerchinese #chineselanguage #kongmandarin
This video provides a quick and direct overview. Please watch the segments that introduce the two words and explain the difference based on number size.
Pay attention to the introduction from the start and then the explanation of the number size rule, with examples for family members versus students in a class.
Consider these two scenarios:
- You want to ask how many people are in someone's immediate family. Since the number is very likely under 10, you would use
几. - You want to ask how many students are at a university. Since the number is certainly greater than 10, you must use
多少.
The Second Rule: Measure Words
The second key difference is grammatical, relating to the use of measure words, which you've seen are an integral part of Chinese grammar.
- With 几 (jǐ), a measure word is mandatory. The structure is always:
几 + Measure Word + Noun. - With 多少 (duōshao), the measure word is optional. Both
多少 + Nounand多少 + Measure Word + Nounare correct, though omitting the measure word is very common.
The following infographic provides an excellent visual summary of these first two rules. Notice the structure shown for 几 versus 多少 and the examples provided.
For a concise written explanation of these rules, please read the following article from Language Dove.
Chinese grammar | Questions: 多少/几 (How Many/Much) | Language Dove
This article clearly lays out the two primary rules we've just discussed: the "small numbers guy" (几) versus the "big numbers guy" (多少), and the associated measure word requirements.
Read the entire short article, paying close attention to the section on 几 (jǐ) and its mandatory measure word, and the section on 多少 (duōshǎo) with its optional measure word. The final "Golden Rule" summarizes it perfectly.
Let's review the structures with examples:
-
Using 几 (jǐ):
你家有几个妹妹？(Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè mèimei?) - How many younger sisters do you have? (个is the required measure word).你看了几本书？(Nǐ kànle jǐ běn shū?) - How many books did you read? (本is the required measure word).你看了几书?(Nǐ kànle jǐ shū?) is incorrect.
-
Using 多少 (duōshao):
你们学校有多少学生？(Nǐmen xuéxiào yǒu duōshao xuéshēng?) - How many students are in your school?你们学校有多少个学生？(Nǐmen xuéxiào yǒu duōshao gè xuéshēng?) - Also correct.
Specific Applications and Fixed Phrases
Beyond the general rules, 几 and 多少 are used in several fixed contexts. Understanding these is essential for sounding natural.
1. Asking about Price
To ask "How much does this cost?", the standard phrase is 多少钱？ (duōshao qián?). Here, 多少 is used because the price is often unknown or can be a large number. Note that no measure word is used between 多少 and 钱 (qián, money).
这件衣服多少钱？(Zhè jiàn yīfu duōshao qián?) - How much is this piece of clothing?
2. Asking about Time and Dates
As you've already learned in this module, 几 is used to ask about specific points in time, because the possible answers come from a small, finite set.
- Time:
现在几点？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?) - What time is it now? (Answers are 1-12) - Date:
今天是几月几号？(Jīntiān shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào?) - What is today's month and date? (Answers are 1-12 and 1-31) - Day of the week:
今天星期几？(Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?) - What day of the week is it? (Answers are 1-6, or天/日for Sunday)
3. Asking about Phone Numbers
When asking for a string of digits like a phone number, which is treated as a single large number, 多少 is used.
你的电话号码是多少？(Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?) - What is your phone number?
The following resource provides a good summary of these specific cases.
几(jǐ) vs 多少(duō shǎo) - Grammar Explanation & Exercises
This article from Mandarin Bean details the measure word rules and the specific uses for prices, time, and phone numbers.
Focus on the section titled About Measure Word, which also explains the use of 多少钱. Then, read the section About Time & Dates & Number to see the fixed uses for time and phone numbers.
Conclusion
You have now learned the complete set of rules for distinguishing between 几 and 多少 at the HSK 1 level. This is a fundamental concept for forming questions about quantity and numbers.
Key Takeaways:
- Primary Rule: Use
几 (jǐ)for expected small numbers (<10) and多少 (duōshao)for large or unknown numbers. - Grammar Rule:
几must be followed by a measure word. For多少, the measure word is optional. - Fixed Phrases:
- Price:
多少钱？ - Time/Dates:
几点？,几月几号？,星期几？ - Phone Numbers:
你的电话号码是多少？
- Price:
This lesson concludes our module on "Numbers, Dates, and Time." You are now equipped to handle a wide range of numerical concepts in Mandarin.
Next Lesson Preview:
In this lesson, the importance of measure words became very clear, especially the mandatory use with 几. In our next lesson, we will begin Module 6, "Existence, Possession, and Measure Words," where we will dive deeper into this concept. You'll learn how to use the most common measure words, such as 个 (gè), 本 (běn), and 杯 (bēi), to construct more descriptive and grammatically correct sentences.