jǐ ge: 几个 - A Few, Several, How Many

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 几个 (jǐ ge), a fundamental building block for both asking and answering questions. This page explains how 几个 cleverly means both “how many?” (for small numbers) and “a few” or “several.” We'll break down the characters, provide dozens of practical examples, and clarify the crucial difference between 几个 (jǐ ge) and 多少 (duōshao), helping you avoid common mistakes and speak more naturally.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jǐ ge
• Part of Speech: Numeral-Measure Word Phrase / Question Word
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A phrase used to ask “how many?” (for a number expected to be under 10) or to state an indefinite small quantity like “a few” or “several.”
• In a Nutshell: Imagine one phrase that works for both “How many cookies are there?” and “There are a few cookies.” That's 几个 (jǐ ge). Its meaning depends entirely on context and intonation. If you say it with a rising, questioning tone, you're asking. If you say it with a flat, declarative tone, you're stating. The key is that it always deals with a small, countable number of things.

• 几 (jǐ): This character is the core of the term. On its own, it can mean “how many?” or “a few/several.” It acts as a placeholder for a small, uncertain number.
• 个 (ge): This is the most common and versatile measure word in Mandarin Chinese. Think of it as a general-purpose counter for individual items. While English often doesn't need a counter (“three apples”), Chinese almost always does (“three counter apples” - 三个苹果).
• Together, 几个 (jǐ ge) literally translates to “how-many individual items” or “a-few individual items.” It combines the question/statement of quantity (几) with the unit of counting (个).

While 几个 (jǐ ge) is a simple grammatical term, its structure reveals a core aspect of the Chinese worldview: categorization. The mandatory use of measure words like 个 (ge) requires the speaker to classify the noun they are counting. In English, we say “how many people?” The word “people” is directly countable. In Chinese, you say “你家有几 口 人?” (Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén? - How many mouths of people in your family?) or, more generally, “几 个 人?” (jǐ ge rén? - How many individual people?). The measure word (口 or 个) is not optional. This isn't just a grammatical quirk; it reflects a language that is highly specific about the nature of objects. For a beginner, 个 (ge) is a lifesaver because it's the general, all-purpose measure word. Using 几个 (jǐ ge) correctly is the first step to understanding this fundamental “counting culture” in the Chinese language, where everything has its own specific unit or counter.

This term is extremely common in daily, informal conversation. Its usage is split into two main functions:

When used in a question, your voice will naturally have a rising intonation at the end of the sentence. You use it when you expect the answer to be a small number, typically less than 10.

• Asking about the number of items: 你要几个？ (Nǐ yào jǐ ge?) - How many do you want?
• Asking about people: 你们有几个人？ (Nǐmen yǒu jǐ ge rén?) - How many people are in your group?

When used in a statement, your voice has a normal, declarative intonation. It provides a deliberately vague, small quantity. It's the equivalent of saying “a couple,” “a few,” or “several.”

• Describing a small quantity: 我有几个问题。(Wǒ yǒu jǐ ge wèntí.) - I have a few questions.
• Answering vaguely: 他买几个苹果。(Tā mǎi jǐ ge píngguǒ.) - He's buying a few apples.

The distinction is almost always clear from the context and the presence (or absence) of a question mark (？) in writing.

• Example 1: (Question)
  • 你家有几个人？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ ge rén?
  • English: How many people are in your family?
  • Analysis: A classic HSK 1 question. The speaker expects the answer to be a small number (e.g., 3, 4, 5), so 几个 is the perfect choice.
• Example 2: (Statement)
  • 桌子上有几个苹果。
  • Pinyin: Zhuōzi shàng yǒu jǐ ge píngguǒ.
  • English: There are a few apples on the table.
  • Analysis: This is a simple statement of fact. The speaker isn't specifying the exact number, just that it's a small quantity.
• Example 3: (Question)
  • 你想喝几个杯子？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng hē jǐ ge bēizi?
  • English: How many glasses (of it) do you want to drink?
  • Analysis: A practical question in a restaurant or at home. The context is asking for a small, specific number.
• Example 4: (Statement)
  • 我认识几个会说中文的美国人。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ rènshi jǐ ge huì shuō Zhōngwén de Měiguó rén.
  • English: I know a few Americans who can speak Chinese.
  • Analysis: Here, 几个 indicates an indefinite small number of acquaintances. It's more natural and common than picking a specific number like “three” or “four.”
• Example 5: (Question)
  • 这个星期你有几个会要开？
  • Pinyin: Zhège xīngqī nǐ yǒu jǐ ge huì yào kāi?
  • English: How many meetings do you have to attend this week?
  • Analysis: Used in a work context. The speaker assumes the number of meetings is manageable and countable on one hand.
• Example 6: (Statement)
  • 他累了，只说了几个字。
  • Pinyin: Tā lèi le, zhǐ shuō le jǐ ge zì.
  • English: He was tired and only said a few words.
  • Analysis: This shows 几个 can be used with more abstract concepts like “words” (字), not just physical objects.
• Example 7: (Statement)
  • 请等一下，我还有几个问题。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng děng yíxià, wǒ hái yǒu jǐ ge wèntí.
  • English: Please wait a moment, I still have a few questions.
  • Analysis: A very common and polite phrase in a classroom or business setting. It signals you won't take up too much time.
• Example 8: (Statement)
  • 我们计划在几个月后去中国。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen jìhuà zài jǐ ge yuè hòu qù Zhōngguó.
  • English: We are planning to go to China in a few months.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates use with units of time. “A few months” is a perfect use case for 几个.
• Example 9: (Question)
  • 你的新项目需要几个人？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de xīn xiàngmù xūyào jǐ ge rén?
  • English: How many people does your new project need?
  • Analysis: This is a question about resource allocation, implying a small, core team is being formed.
• Example 10: (Statement)
  • 冰箱里只剩下几个鸡蛋了。
  • Pinyin: Bīngxiāng lǐ zhǐ shèng xià jǐ ge jīdàn le.
  • English: There are only a few eggs left in the fridge.
  • Analysis: A common household sentence. The `只 (zhǐ)` emphasizes that the small number is all that remains.

The most significant pitfall for learners is confusing 几个 (jǐ ge) with 多少 (duōshao). They both can mean “how many,” but they are not interchangeable.

• Rule of Thumb: Use 几个 (jǐ ge) when you ask about a number you expect to be under 10. Use 多少 (duōshao) when the number could be large, or you have no idea what it might be.
• Common Mistake 1: Using 几个 for large numbers.
  • Incorrect: 你们公司有几个员工？ (Nǐmen gōngsī yǒu jǐ ge yuángōng?)
  • Why it's wrong: A company almost certainly has more than 10 employees. Asking this way sounds strange, as if you think the company is tiny.
  • Correct: 你们公司有多少员工？ (Nǐmen gōngsī yǒu duōshao yuángōng?) - How many employees does your company have?
• Common Mistake 2: Using 几个 for uncountable things like money.
  • Incorrect: 这件衣服几个钱？(Zhè jiàn yīfu jǐ ge qián?)
  • Why it's wrong: Money (钱) is a concept, not a series of individual, countable items in this context. It also usually involves numbers larger than 10.
  • Correct: 这件衣服多少钱？(Zhè jiàn yīfu duōshao qián?) - How much does this piece of clothing cost?
• Common Mistake 3: Forgetting the measure word.
  • Incorrect: 我有几朋友。(Wǒ yǒu jǐ péngyou.)
  • Why it's wrong: In Chinese, numbers almost always need a measure word before a noun.
  • Correct: 我有几个朋友。(Wǒ yǒu jǐ ge péngyou.) - I have a few friends.

• 多少 (duōshao) - The direct counterpart to 几个. It means “how many/how much” and is used for large, unknown, or uncountable quantities.
• 一些 (yìxiē) - Means “some” or “a few.” It is often interchangeable with the statement form of 几个, but can feel slightly more general or literary.
• 个 (ge) - The universal measure word itself. Understanding 个 is key to understanding Chinese numbers.
• 两 (liǎng) - The word for “two” that is used with measure words (e.g., 两个人 - liǎng ge rén). You do not say `二个人`.
• 几点 (jǐ diǎn) - A fixed phrase using 几 to ask “What time is it?”.
• 星期几 (xīngqī jǐ) - A fixed phrase using 几 to ask “What day of the week is it?”.
• 几岁 (jǐ suì) - A fixed phrase using 几 to ask a child “How old are you?”. For adults, you would use 多大 (duō dà).