Hello! In our last lesson, we focused on identifying specific people and objects by combining demonstratives, measure words, and nouns into phrases like 这个人 (zhè ge rén). This allowed us to ask targeted questions of identity, such as 这个人是谁？ (Zhè ge rén shì shéi?).
Today, we will shift our focus from identifying to quantifying. You will learn how to ask "how many?" by combining the verb 有 (yǒu), which you know means "to have" or "there is/are," with the measure word structures you've been practicing. The core of this lesson is mastering the two primary ways to ask about quantity in Chinese: using the question words 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshao). Understanding when to use each is a key grammatical point for HSK 1.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to correctly construct questions like "How many books do you have?" and "How many students are in the school?".
1. The Core Structure: Asking about Quantity with 有 (yǒu)
The fundamental sentence structure for asking about quantity of possession or existence is direct and logical. It follows the standard Subject-Verb-Object pattern, where the "object" part of the sentence contains the question word.
Structure: Subject + 有 (yǒu) + Question Word + Measure Word + Noun?
For example, to ask "How many people are in your family?", the structure is:你家 (Nǐ jiā) - Your family (Subject)有 (yǒu) - have (Verb)...人 (rén) - ... people (Object with question word)
Our task now is to determine what fills that blank: 几 or 多少.
2. The Two Tools for "How Many": 几 (jǐ) vs. 多少 (duōshao)
Chinese uses two different words for "how many," and the choice between them depends on the speaker's expectation about the number in question. Think of them as two distinct functions, each called under different conditions.
A great video from E's Chinese Class breaks down this distinction. Pay close attention to the logic of how question words fit into a sentence and the core difference between 几 and 多少.
【NEW HSK1】【Question1】多(duō) vs 多少(duōshao) vs 几(jǐ) #chinesegrammarbooster #newhsk1
This video clearly explains the grammatical rules for using Chinese question words.
First, watch the segment that reinforces a key principle: question pronouns simply replace the information you are asking about, without changing the sentence's word order. Then, focus on the section that directly compares 几 and 多少, explaining the core difference based on the expected quantity.
As you saw in the video, the primary distinction is:
- 几 (jǐ) is used when you expect the answer to be a small number, typically under 10.
- 多少 (duōshao) is used for larger, unknown, or unestimated quantities.
Let's formalize this with some examples you saw:
你家有几口人？(Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?) - How many people are in your family? (Families usually have fewer than 10 members, so几is appropriate).图书馆里有多少本书？(Túshūguǎn lǐ yǒu duōshao běn shū?) - How many books are in the library? (A library has many books, so多少is necessary).
3. The Crucial Measure Word Rule
Beyond the estimated quantity, there is a second, more rigid grammatical rule that distinguishes 几 from 多少. This rule relates to the measure words you've been learning. The following article from Mandarin Bean explains it perfectly.
几(jǐ) vs 多少(duō shǎo) - Grammar Explanation & Exercises
This guide provides a clear, rule-based explanation of the differences between 几 and 多少, which will solidify your understanding.
First, read the section under "General use" to review the main distinction. Then, pay very close attention to the rule explained under the heading "About Measure Word". This is the most important technical takeaway from this lesson. Notice the examples provided, such as 你们公司有 多少（个）人？. The parentheses indicate optionality.
To summarize the critical rule:
- With 几 (jǐ), a measure word is required.
- With 多少 (duōshao), the measure word is optional and often omitted.
This is a non-negotiable rule. You can think of it in programming terms: the function jǐ() requires the measure_word parameter, while the duōshao() function treats measure_word as an optional parameter.
-
Correct:
你有几个朋友？(Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge péngyǒu?) -
Incorrect:
你有几朋友？ -
Correct:
中国有多少省？(Zhōngguó yǒu duōshao shěng?) -
Correct:
中国有多少个省？(Zhōngguó yǒu duōshao ge shěng?)
This rule gives you a clear-cut way to distinguish the two beyond just estimating the quantity.
4. Putting It All Together
Let's combine everything into the full Subject + 有 + ... structure.
Scenario 1: Asking about a friend's siblings. (Expecting a small number)
- Question Word:
几 - Measure Word:
个(ge) - Required - Sentence:
你有几个弟弟？(Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge dìdi?) - How many younger brothers do you have?
Scenario 2: Asking about the number of students in a school. (Expecting a large number)
- Question Word:
多少 - Measure Word:
个(ge) - Optional - Sentence:
你们学校有多少学生？(Nǐmen xuéxiào yǒu duōshao xuésheng?) - How many students does your school have? - Also Correct:
你们学校有多少个学生？(Nǐmen xuéxiào yǒu duōshao ge xuésheng?)
The examples in this brief article reinforce this pattern.
Master "How Long" & "How Much" in Chinese: Duo Shao, Duo Chang & More!
This quick read provides a few more examples in a conversational context.
Focus on the first part of the text, under the heading "Understanding 'How Much' and 'How Many'". Note the two example questions provided for 多少: 你家有多少人？ and 你有多少本书？.
5. Practice Drill
Now, apply these rules. For each prompt, formulate the correct question in Mandarin.
- Ask your friend: "How many cups (杯 bēi) of coffee did you drink?"
Answer
`你喝了几杯咖啡？` (Nǐ hēle jǐ bēi kāfēi?) - Here, `几` is more natural as one typically drinks a small number of cups. The measure word `杯` is mandatory.
2. Ask: "How many people work in your company?"
Answer
`你们公司有多少人？` (Nǐmen gōngsī yǒu duōshao rén?) - A company can have many employees, so `多少` is appropriate. Omitting `个` is very common.3. Ask: "How many books are on the table?" (You see only two or three).
Answer
`桌子上有几本书？` (Zhuōzi shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū?) - Since you see a small number, `几` is the correct choice. The measure word `本` is required.Conclusion
You have now learned a crucial and highly practical aspect of Chinese grammar. By mastering the distinction between 几 and 多少, you can now ask about quantities of any scale.
Key Takeaways:
- The basic structure to ask about quantity of possession/existence is:
Subject + 有 + Question Word + MW + Noun?. - Use 几 (jǐ) when asking about small quantities (usually < 10). The measure word is mandatory.
- Use 多少 (duōshao) when asking about large or unknown quantities. The measure word is optional.
This lesson concludes the main grammatical components of Module 6. In our next and final lesson for this module, we will focus on consolidating your knowledge by practicing the recognition of all the new characters we've introduced, including 有, 没, 这, 那, 个, 本, 杯, 几, and 多少.