Keywords: 几, jǐ, ji, jī, how many in Chinese, several in Chinese, a few in Chinese, Chinese question word, Chinese number, Chinese measure words, what time in Chinese, 多少, 茶几.
Summary: 几 (jǐ / jī) is a fundamental and highly versatile Chinese character essential for beginners. Primarily pronounced “jǐ”, it serves as the question word “how many” when asking about small, countable numbers (typically under 10), and also as a way to express an indefinite quantity like “several” or “a few”. In its less common pronunciation, “jī”, it relates to its ancient meaning of a “small table”. Understanding when to use 几 (jǐ) versus its counterpart 多少 (duōshao) is a key step in speaking natural and polite Chinese.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): jǐ / jī
Part of Speech: Pronoun (question word), Numeral (indefinite quantifier), Noun
HSK Level: HSK 1
Concise Definition: A word used to ask “how many” (for small quantities) or to state “several / a few”.
In a Nutshell: Think of 几 (jǐ) as a “small-scale” number word. When you ask a question with it, you're expecting a small answer (like “What time is it?” or “How many kids do you have?”). When you use it in a statement, you're vaguely saying “a few” or “several” without giving an exact number. It’s the friendly, everyday tool for dealing with small quantities, in contrast to `多少 (duōshao)`, which is used for asking about larger, unknown amounts. A second, rare pronunciation jī harks back to its original meaning: a small table.
Character Breakdown
几: The character itself is a simple pictograph. It originally depicted a small, low-legged table or stool. Imagine a simple bench with two legs.
The character was later “borrowed” for its sound to represent the question word “how many” (jǐ). This is very common in the development of Chinese characters. So, while its shape means “table”, its most frequent modern use is for numbers. The original “table” meaning, pronounced jī, is now almost exclusively found in compound words like `茶几 (chájī)`, a “tea table”.
Cultural Context and Significance
The most important cultural nuance of 几 (jǐ) lies in its contrast with 多少 (duōshao). While both mean “how many,” they are not interchangeable and reflect social awareness.
`几` implies a small number (under 10). Using it shows you have a rough expectation. For example, asking a friend `你家有几口人？ (Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?)` - “How many people are in your family?” - is natural, as most families are small.
This creates a crucial rule of politeness regarding age. You ask a child `你几岁了？(Nǐ jǐ suì le?)` - “How old are you?” because their age is a small number. Asking an adult this question would be childish and slightly insulting. For adults, you must use a different structure like `你多大？(Nǐ duō dà?)` - “How old are you?” This distinction is similar to the difference in English between asking “What's your name?” and formally asking “May I have your name?”. One is casual and direct, the other shows more respect for the situation. Using 几 (jǐ) correctly demonstrates social and cultural fluency, not just language knowledge.
Practical Usage in Modern China
As a Question Word (jǐ):
Used constantly for asking about time, date, day of the week, and small counts.
Always precedes a measure word (e.g., `个 ge`, `本 běn`, `点 diǎn`).
Example: `现在几点了？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?)` - What time is it now?
As an Indefinite Quantifier (jǐ):
Used in statements to mean “a few” or “several”.
Also used to express numbers between 10 and 20 (`十几 shí jǐ`) or in multiples of ten (`几十 jǐ shí`, `几百 jǐ bǎi`).
This usage is extremely common in daily conversation when an exact number isn't necessary or known.
Example: `我昨天买了几本书。(Wǒ zuótiān mǎi le jǐ běn shū.)` - I bought a few books yesterday.
In Compound Words (jī):
Less common, but important for vocabulary building. This usage refers to a table or desk.
It is almost always pronounced with the first tone, jī.
Example: `茶几 (chájī)` - tea table / coffee table.
Example Sentences
Example 1: (Asking a child's age)
小朋友，你几岁了？
Pinyin: Xiǎopéngyǒu, nǐ jǐ suì le?
English: Little friend, how old are you?
Analysis: This is the standard, friendly way to ask a young child their age. Using `几` is appropriate because the expected answer is a small number.
Example 2: (Asking the time)
请问，现在几点了？
Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?
English: Excuse me, what time is it now?
Analysis: `点 (diǎn)` is the measure word for “o'clock”. Since there are only 12 (or 24) hours on a clock, `几` is always used to ask the time.
Example 3: (Indicating “a few”)
我只想问你几个问题。
Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng wèn nǐ jǐ ge wèntí.
English: I only want to ask you a few questions.
Analysis: Here, `几` is not a question. It's an indefinite numeral meaning “several” or “a few”. Notice the mandatory measure word `个 (ge)`.
Example 4: (Asking “which day of the week”)
今天星期几？
Pinyin: Jīntiān xīngqījǐ?
English: What day of the week is it today?
Analysis: Since there are only seven days in a week, `几` is the correct question word to use.
Example 5: (Indicating “ten-something”)
他看起来十几岁。
Pinyin: Tā kànqǐlái shíjǐ suì.
English: He looks like he's in his teens (lit: ten-something years old).
Analysis: The structure `十 + 几 (shí jǐ)` is a very common pattern to express a number between 11 and 19.
Example 6: (Indicating “several tens of”)
这个教室里有几十个学生。
Pinyin: Zhège jiàoshì lǐ yǒu jǐ shí ge xuéshēng.
English: There are several dozen (lit: a few tens of) students in this classroom.
Analysis: Similar to the pattern above, `几十 (jǐ shí)` means an indefinite number between 20 and 99 (e.g., 30, 40, 50…).
Example 7: (Asking for a small quantity)
你要买几个苹果？
Pinyin: Nǐ yào mǎi jǐ ge píngguǒ?
English: How many apples do you want to buy?
Analysis: The speaker assumes you're not buying 100 apples, but just a few for personal consumption.
Example 8: (Expressing a short duration)
我过几分钟就到。
Pinyin: Wǒ guò jǐ fēnzhōng jiù dào.
English: I will be there in a few minutes.
Analysis: `几` is used to give an approximate, short amount of time. It's the equivalent of saying “in a couple of minutes”.
Example 9: (Using the 'jī' pronunciation)
他把书放在了茶几上。
Pinyin: Tā bǎ shū fàng zài le chájī shàng.
English: He put the book on the coffee table.
Analysis: This example showcases the original meaning and `jī` pronunciation. `茶几` is a very common vocabulary word.
Example 10: (Asking for the date)
今天是几月几号？
Pinyin: Jīntiān shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào?
English: What's the date today?
Analysis: A classic example using `几` twice. Since there are 12 months and 31 days at most, `几` is used for both, though for days, `多少 (duōshao)` is also acceptable.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
Using `几` for big numbers: This is the most common mistake. If you ask a librarian `你们图书馆有几本书？(Nǐmen túshūguǎn yǒu jǐ běn shū?)`, you're asking “How many (less than 10) books does your library have?”, which is absurd.
Incorrect: `你们公司有几个员工？` (Unless it's a tiny startup with 3 people).
Correct: `你们公司有多少员工？` (How many employees does your company have?)
Forgetting the Measure Word:几 (jǐ), both as a question and a statement, almost always requires a measure word before the noun. English doesn't have this structure (“how many apples,” not “how many ge apples”), so it's easy to forget.
Incorrect: `我想买几书。`
Correct: `我想买几本书。 (Wǒ xiǎng mǎi jǐ běn shū.)`
Asking an Adult's Age: As mentioned in the cultural section, this is a major faux pas.
Incorrect (for an adult): `你几岁了？`
Correct (for an adult): `你多大？ (Nǐ duō dà?)` or more formally `您贵庚？ (Nín guìgēng?)`
Related Terms and Concepts
多少 (duōshao) - The direct counterpart to `几`. It means “how many/how much” and is used for numbers expected to be over 10, for unknown quantities, or for uncountable things like money.
几个 (jǐ ge) - The most frequent combination of `几` plus a measure word. It's so common it can almost be considered a set phrase for “a few” or “how many”.
一些 (yìxiē) - Means “some” or “a few”. It's a close synonym for `几` (in its statement form) but can be used more broadly, including with uncountable nouns.
好几 (hǎo jǐ) - Means “quite a few” or “a good number of”. It emphasizes that the quantity, while not huge, is more than just two or three. `我等了你好几个小时！` (I waited for you for a good few hours!).
茶几 (chájī) - The most common word using the `jī` pronunciation. It means “coffee table” or “tea table”.
几乎 (jīhū) - Means “almost” or “nearly”. Although it contains the character `几`, its meaning is completely different and is related to proximity or approximation, not quantity.
几何 (jǐhé) - The academic term for “geometry”. This is a loanword from English, and `几` is used for its sound.