duō: 多 - Many, Much, A Lot

• Keywords: duo, 多, many in Chinese, much in Chinese, how many in Chinese, how much Chinese, a lot of, Chinese for more, Chinese grammar, learn Chinese, HSK 1
• Summary: Discover the meaning and usage of 多 (duō), one of the most fundamental and versatile characters in Mandarin Chinese. This page provides a deep dive into how to use 多 to say “many,” “much,” and “a lot,” ask questions like “how many?” or “how old?”, and express “more than.” With clear explanations, cultural context, and dozens of practical examples, you'll master this essential HSK 1 word and unlock a new level of expression in Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): duō
• Part of Speech: Adjective, Adverb
• HSK Level: 1
• Concise Definition: Many, much, a lot; more than a certain amount; to what extent.
• In a Nutshell: 多 (duō) is your go-to word for quantity in Chinese. It's the direct equivalent of “many” for countable things (like people) and “much” for uncountable things (like time). Beyond just stating that there's a lot of something, it's cleverly used as an adverb to ask questions about degree, such as “how tall?” (多高?), “how old?” (多大?), or “how long?” (多久?).

• 多 (duō): The character is a pictograph showing two 夕 (xī) characters stacked on top of each other. The character 夕 originally represented a crescent moon and by extension, “evening” or “dusk.” In ancient Chinese writing, repeating a character was a common way to signify plurality or a large amount. Therefore, stacking two “evenings” on top of each other creates the abstract sense of many evenings passing, which evolved into the general meaning of “many,” “much,” or “a lot.”

• In Chinese culture, there's often a positive association with abundance, captured in the idiom 多多益善 (duō duō yì shàn), which means “the more, the better.” This applies to everything from food at a banquet to good fortune. The concept of 多子多福 (duō zǐ duō fú), “more children, more blessings,” was a cornerstone of traditional family values for centuries, highlighting the deep-rooted cultural link between “more” and “good.”
• A key cultural difference can be seen in how 多 is used to ask about age. In English, asking an adult “How old are you?” can sometimes be considered impolite. In China, asking 你多大? (Nǐ duō dà?) is a very common and neutral question, used among peers and even when addressing those older than you (though a more polite form exists for elders). This reflects a greater degree of directness about certain personal information in everyday social interaction compared to many Western cultures.

When used as a simple adjective, 多 often pairs with adverbs like 很 (hěn), meaning “very.” Saying “这里人多 (zhèlǐ rén duō)” is grammatically correct but sounds like a clipped observation. It's much more natural in conversation to say “这里人很多 (zhèlǐ rén hěn duō)” to mean “There are a lot of people here.”

• e.g., 我有很多朋友。(Wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyou.) - I have a lot of friends.

This is a crucial pattern for beginners. Place 多 before an adjective to turn a statement into a question about degree or extent.

• 多 + Adjective?
• e.g., 你儿子多高？ (Nǐ érzi duō gāo?) - How tall is your son?
• e.g., 这条河多长？ (Zhè tiáo hé duō cháng?) - How long is this river?

多 is used to encourage someone to do something more, or to express the idea of “more” in a comparison.

• e.g., 多吃点儿！(Duō chī diǎnr!) - Eat a little more!
• e.g., 我比他多一个苹果。(Wǒ bǐ tā duō yí ge píngguǒ.) - I have one more apple than he does.

The placement of 多 after a number indicates an approximation. Its position changes based on the number.

• For numbers that are multiples of 10 (10, 20, 100, etc.): Number + 多 + Measure Word + Noun
  • e.g., 公司有二十多个员工。(Gōngsī yǒu èrshí duō ge yuángōng.) - The company has over 20 employees.
• For all other numbers: Number + Measure Word + 多 + Noun
  • e.g., 我学了三年多中文。(Wǒ xuéle sān nián duō Zhōngwén.) - I've studied Chinese for more than three years.

• Example 1:
  • 这里的商店很多。
  • Pinyin: Zhèlǐ de shāngdiàn hěn duō.
  • English: There are a lot of shops here.
  • Analysis: A classic example of 多 used as a predicate adjective, modified by 很 (hěn) for natural-sounding speech.
• Example 2:
  • 你多大 了？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ duō dà le?
  • English: How old are you?
  • Analysis: This is perhaps the most common question using the “多 + Adjective?” structure. It's a fundamental phrase for beginners.
• Example 3:
  • 你想在上海住多久？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng zài Shànghǎi zhù duō jiǔ?
  • English: How long do you want to live in Shanghai?
  • Analysis: Here, 多久 (duō jiǔ) is a set phrase meaning “how long” (in terms of time duration).
• Example 4:
  • 天气冷，你多穿点衣服。
  • Pinyin: Tiānqì lěng, nǐ duō chuān diǎn yīfu.
  • English: The weather is cold, wear some more clothes.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates 多 used as an adverb before a verb, meaning “do [verb] more.” It's a very common way to give advice or show care.
• Example 5:
  • 这本书我看了十多遍。
  • Pinyin: Zhè běn shū wǒ kànle shí duō biàn.
  • English: I've read this book more than ten times.
  • Analysis: An example of using 多 for an approximate number with a multiple of 10. It means “more than 10, but probably less than 20.”
• Example 6:
  • 我们等了半个多小时了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen děngle bàn ge duō xiǎoshí le.
  • English: We have been waiting for over half an hour.
  • Analysis: Here, 多 follows the “Number + Measure Word” unit (半个 in this case) to signify “more than.”
• Example 7:
  • 如果你有多余的票，可以给我一张吗？
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu duōyú de piào, kěyǐ gěi wǒ yī zhāng ma?
  • English: If you have a spare ticket, could you give me one?
  • Analysis: This shows 多 as part of a compound word, 多余 (duōyú), which means “surplus” or “unnecessary.”
• Example 8:
  • 不管怎么样，人多力量大。
  • Pinyin: Bùguǎn zěnmeyàng, rén duō lìliàng dà.
  • English: No matter what, there is strength in numbers.
  • Analysis: A common idiom where 多 is used directly as a subject-predicate attribute without 很. This structure is common in proverbs and set phrases.
• Example 9:
  • 今天的会议有多重要？
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān de huìyì yǒu duō zhòngyào?
  • English: How important is today's meeting?
  • Analysis: This is another example of the “多 + Adjective?” pattern, used to ask about the degree of an abstract quality like “importance.”
• Example 10:
  • 多亏了你的帮助，我才能按时完成。
  • Pinyin: Duōkuīle nǐ de bāngzhù, wǒ cáinéng ànshí wánchéng.
  • English: Thanks to your help, I was able to finish on time.
  • Analysis: Here 多 is part of the set phrase 多亏 (duōkuī), meaning “thanks to” or “luckily.” This shows how 多 appears in many fixed expressions.

• Mistake: Forgetting to use 很 (hěn).
  • A very common beginner mistake is to say “我朋友多” to mean “I have many friends.” While grammatically understandable, it sounds unnatural.
  • Incorrect: 我朋友多。(Wǒ péngyou duō.)
  • Correct: 我有很多朋友。(Wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyou.)
  • Analysis: When 多 is the main predicate of a simple sentence, it almost always needs an adverb like 很 (hěn), 真 (zhēn), or 非常 (fēicháng).
• Mistake: Confusing word order for “more than.”
  • The placement of 多 to mean “more than” is strict and depends on the number. Mixing it up is a common error.
  • Incorrect: 我等了三个小时多。(Wǒ děngle sān ge xiǎoshí duō.)
  • Correct: 我等了三个多小时。(Wǒ děngle sān ge duō xiǎoshí.)
  • Analysis: Remember the rule: For numbers NOT ending in 0, 多 comes after the measure word. `Number + MW + 多`. For numbers ending in 0, 多 comes before the measure word. `Number + 多 + MW`.
• Nuance: 多少 (duōshao) vs. 几 (jǐ)
  • Both mean “how many,” but they are not always interchangeable.
  • 几 (jǐ): Use when you expect the answer to be a small number (generally under 10). E.g., 你有几个孩子? (Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge háizi?) - How many children do you have?
  • 多少 (duōshao): Use when you expect the answer to be a larger number (over 10), or when you have no idea what the quantity might be. The measure word is optional. E.g., 你们公司有多少(个)人？(Nǐmen gōngsī yǒu duōshao (ge) rén?) - How many people are in your company?

• 少 (shǎo) - The direct antonym of 多, meaning “few” or “less.”
• 多少 (duōshao) - The question word “how many” or “how much,” literally combining “many” and “few.”
• 很多 (hěn duō) - A very common and natural way to say “a lot of” or “very many.”
• 许多 (xǔduō) - A synonym for 很多, often considered slightly more formal or literary.
• 多么 (duōme) - An adverb used in exclamations to mean “how…!”. E.g., 这里多么漂亮啊! (Zhèlǐ duōme piàoliang a!) - How beautiful it is here!
• 大多 (dàduō) - An adverb meaning “for the most part” or “mostly.” E.g., 这里的学生大多是外国人。(Zhèlǐ de xuéshēng dàduō shì wàiguó rén.)
• 多余 (duōyú) - An adjective meaning “superfluous,” “unnecessary,” or “surplus.”
• 多样 (duōyàng) - An adjective meaning “diverse” or “varied,” as in 文化多样性 (wénhuà duōyàngxìng) - cultural diversity.
• 多半 (duōbàn) - An adverb meaning “probably” or “most likely,” indicating a high probability.