How Many / How Much — 几 & 多少
Overview
Mandarin uses two different question words for quantity: 几 (jǐ) for small countable amounts (expected 1–9), and 多少 (duōshao) for large or unspecified quantities. The key structural difference: 几 always requires a measure word, while 多少 often drops the measure word for uncountable nouns. Both words take the place of the number in the standard Number + MW + Noun structure.
Pattern(s)
| Pattern | When | Measure Word |
|---|---|---|
几 + MW + Noun？ | Small amounts (1–9); countable | Required |
多少 + (MW) + Noun？ | Any amount; uncountable OK | Optional |
多少 + Noun？ | Uncountable / price / abstract | Dropped |
Core Examples
几 (jǐ)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 几个人？ | jǐ gè rén? | How many people? |
| 几本书？ | jǐ běn shū? | How many books? |
| 你有几只猫？ | Nǐ yǒu jǐ zhī māo? | How many cats do you have? |
| 几点了？ | Jǐ diǎn le? | What time is it? (lit. “how many o’clock?”) |
多少 (duōshao)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 多少钱？ | Duōshao qián? | How much (money)? |
| 多少水？ | Duōshao shuǐ? | How much water? |
| 多少人？ | Duōshao rén? | How many people? (any number expected) |
| 多少本书？ | Duōshao běn shū? | How many books? (larger number expected) |
Pitfalls
❌ Dropping the measure word after 几
几书？ ❌ → 几本书？ ✅ The measure word is mandatory with 几. It cannot be omitted.
❌ Using 几 when a large number is expected If a library has books, ask 多少本书 not 几本书 — using 几 implies you expect fewer than 10.
❌ Using 多少 without measure word for countable nouns in formal speech
多少书 is understood but 多少本书 is more standard when the MW is known.
Minimal Pairs
| 几 (jǐ) | 多少 (duōshao) | |
|---|---|---|
| Expected range | 1–9 (small) | Any (including 10+) |
| Measure word | Always required | Sometimes optional |
| Noun type | Concrete, countable | Both concrete & abstract |
| Formality | Neutral | Neutral |
| Example | 几个人？ | 多少人？ |
Drills
Choose 几 or 多少, and add a measure word if needed:
- 你有___苹果？(expecting a few)
- 这件衣服___钱？
- 教室里有___学生？(could be many)
- 你买了___书？(expecting 1–5)
- 你要___水？
Answer Key: 1. 几个 2. 多少 3. 多少 4. 几本 5. 多少
Notes
- 几 is also used in time expressions: 几点 (what time), 几月 (what month), 几号 (what date).
- If you truly don’t know whether the number will be small or large, 多少 is the safer choice.
- For price (钱/元), always use 多少: 多少钱？ is the standard “how much does it cost?”
Sources
- HSK Level: 1 (also tested: HSK 2)
- Mandarin Grammar References — Questions chapter
- HSK Standard Course 1 — L5, L8