Difference between revisions of "Measure words in quantity questions"

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{{Grammar Box}}  
  
By "quantity questions," we mean asking "how much?" or "how many?"  You're going to need to use the [[Placement of question words|question word]] 几 (jǐ) and [[measure word]]s for this.
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Quantity questions are phrases for asking questions like "how much?" or "how many?"  You'll need to use the [[Placement of question words|question word]] 几 (jǐ) with [[measure word]]s for this.
  
== Structure ==
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== Asking About Small Numbers with 几 (jǐ) ==
  
You can use the quantity [[Placement of question words|question word]] 几 instead of a number to ask about quantity with [[Measure words for counting|measure words]].  
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=== Structure ===
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You can use the quantity [[Placement of question words|question word]] 几 (jǐ) instead of a number to ask about quantity with [[Measure words for counting|measure word]]s.  
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subject + Verb + 几 + MW + Noun?
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Subj. + Verb + 几 + Measure Word + Noun?
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Examples ==
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* <em>几</em> 个 人?<span class="trans">How many people?</span>
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* 他 有 <em>几</em> 个 孩子?<span class="pinyin">Tā yǒu <em>jǐ</em> gè háizi?</span><span class="trans">How many kids does he have?</span>
* 你 在 这里 呆 <em>几</em> 天?<span class="trans">How many days are you staying here?</span>
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* 你 家 有 <em>几</em> 个 房间? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ jiā yǒu <em>jǐ</em> gè fángjiān?</span><span class="trans">How many rooms are there in your house?</span>
* 你 每 天 工作 <em>几</em> 个 小时?<span class="trans">How many hours do you work every day?</span>
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* 他们 在 这里 住 <em>几</em> 星期? <span class="pinyin">Tāmen zài zhèlǐ zhù <em>jǐ</em> gè xīngqī?</span><span class="trans">How many weeks are they staying here?</span>
* 你 家 里 有 <em>几</em> 个 人?<span class="trans">How many family members does your family have?</span>
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* 你 带 了 <em>几</em> 件 衣服? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ dài le <em>jǐ</em> jiàn yīfu?</span><span class="trans">How many pieces of clothing have you brought?</span>
* 你 有 <em>几</em> 个 女朋友?<span class="trans">How many girlfriends do you have?</span>
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* 老板 每 天 工作 <em>几</em> 个 小时 ? <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn měi tiān gōngzuò <em>jǐ</em> gè xiǎoshí? </span><span class="trans">How many hours does the boss work every day?</span>
* 你 学 了 <em></em> 年 中文?<span class="trans">How many years have you studied Chinese?</span>
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* 你 认识 <em></em> 个 中国 人?<span class="trans">How many Chinese people do you know?</span>
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</div>
* 你 了 <em></em> 个 苹果?<span class="trans">How many apples did you buy?</span>
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* 从 这里 到 那里,需要 <em></em> 个 小时?<span class="trans">From here to there, it should take how many hours?</span>
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== Asking About Big Numbers with 多少 (duōshao) ==
* 你 喝 了 <em></em> 瓶 啤酒?<span class="trans">How many bottles of beer did you drink?</span>
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* 你 需要 <em></em> 张 纸?<span class="trans">How many pieces of paper do you need?? (Note: In English we say "piece" of paper, in Chinese we say a zhang[a  flat spread thing] of paper.)</span>
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When the number is not certain but you assume it's definitely more than ten, it's better to ask the question with 多少 (duōshao) instead of 几 (jǐ).
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=== Structure ===
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 +
<div class="jiegou">
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 +
Subj. + Verb + 多少 + Measure Word + Noun ?
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 +
</div>
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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* 你 去 过 <em>多少</em> 个 国家?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ qù guo <em>duōshao</em> gè guójiā?</span><span class="trans">How many countries have you been to?</span>
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* 你们 班 有 <em>多少</em> 个 学生?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen bān yǒu <em>duōshao</em> gè xuéshēng?</span><span class="trans">How many students are there in your class?</span>
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* 你 大学 的 时候 看 了 <em>多少</em> 本 书?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ dàxué de shíhou kàn le <em>duōshao</em> běn shū?</span><span class="trans">How many books did you read when you were in college? </span>
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* 他们 昨天 请 了 <em>多少</em> 个 朋友? <span class="pinyin">Tāmen zuótiān qǐng le <em>duōshao</em> gè  péngyou?</span><span class="trans">How many friends did they invite yesterday?</span>
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* 上海 有 <em>多少</em> 个  外国 公司? <span class="pinyin">Shànghǎi yǒu <em>duōshao</em> gè wàiguó gōngsī?</span><span class="trans">How many foreign companies are there in Shanghai? </span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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*[[Measure words to differentiate]]
 
*[[Measure words to differentiate]]
 
*[[Measure Words for Verbs]]
 
*[[Measure Words for Verbs]]
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)]] (pp. 105) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 1|32, 58}}
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)]] (pp. 123) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7561926235 →buy]
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)|105}}
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册)]] (p. 86)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)|123}}
 
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{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册)|86}}
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK1}}{{2021-HSK|HSK1}}
 
[[Category:Measure words]]
 
[[Category:Measure words]]
{{Basic Grammar|几|A2|几 + MW (+ N) ?|几 <em>个</em> 人?|grammar point|ASGL9KQM}}
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{{Basic Grammar|几|A2|几 + Measure Word (+ Noun) ?|几 <em>个</em> 人?|grammar point|ASGL9KQM}}
 
{{Similar|Measure words to differentiate}}     
 
{{Similar|Measure words to differentiate}}     
 
{{Similar|Measure Words for Verbs}}     
 
{{Similar|Measure Words for Verbs}}     

Latest revision as of 09:23, 20 April 2021

Quantity questions are phrases for asking questions like "how much?" or "how many?" You'll need to use the question word 几 (jǐ) with measure words for this.

Asking About Small Numbers with 几 (jǐ)

Structure

You can use the quantity question word 几 (jǐ) instead of a number to ask about quantity with measure words.

Subj. + Verb + 几 + Measure Word + Noun?

Examples

  • 他 有 个 孩子?Tā yǒu gè háizi?How many kids does he have?
  • 你 家 有 个 房间? Nǐ jiā yǒu gè fángjiān?How many rooms are there in your house?
  • 他们 在 这里 住 个 星期? Tāmen zài zhèlǐ zhù gè xīngqī?How many weeks are they staying here?
  • 你 带 了 件 衣服? Nǐ dài le jiàn yīfu?How many pieces of clothing have you brought?
  • 老板 每 天 工作 个 小时 ? Lǎobǎn měi tiān gōngzuò gè xiǎoshí? How many hours does the boss work every day?

Asking About Big Numbers with 多少 (duōshao)

When the number is not certain but you assume it's definitely more than ten, it's better to ask the question with 多少 (duōshao) instead of 几 (jǐ).

Structure

Subj. + Verb + 多少 + Measure Word + Noun ?

Examples

  • 你 去 过 多少 个 国家?Nǐ qù guo duōshao gè guójiā?How many countries have you been to?
  • 你们 班 有 多少 个 学生?Nǐmen bān yǒu duōshao gè xuéshēng?How many students are there in your class?
  • 你 大学 的 时候 看 了 多少 本 书?Nǐ dàxué de shíhou kàn le duōshao běn shū?How many books did you read when you were in college?
  • 他们 昨天 请 了 多少 个 朋友? Tāmen zuótiān qǐng le duōshao gè péngyou?How many friends did they invite yesterday?
  • 上海 有 多少 个 外国 公司? Shànghǎi yǒu duōshao gè wàiguó gōngsī?How many foreign companies are there in Shanghai?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books