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几
jǐ
how many
你有几本书？
How many books do you have?
informal
used in questions to ask about quantity (less than 10)
这里有几个人？
How many people are here?
你吃了几个苹果？
How many apples did you eat?
Used for quantities less than 10; for larger quantities, use 多少 (duōshao).
literary
a small table or stool (archaic/noun usage)
凭几而坐
sit by a small table
Rare in modern usage; primarily found in classical Chinese.
Pro Tip
Counting with 几
Use 几 to ask about small quantities (1-9). For larger numbers, use 多少. Example: 几个人 vs 多少人.
Gold Rule
Question Word Usage
几 must appear in a question (with ?) or a statement implying a question. It cannot stand alone as a noun.
Word Origin
Pictogram of a small table or stool, later extended to mean 'quantity'.
Usage Notes
几 is always used in questions and cannot modify nouns directly. For statements like 'a few books', use 几个书 (informal) or 一些书 (more natural).
Word Breakdown
几
small table/stool (original meaning)
root汉英词典