Difference between revisions of "Using "ji" to mean "several""
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| − | + | One of the definitions of the common character 几 (jǐ) is "several", "a couple" or "a few". It's an uncertain number that is at least more than one, but less than ten. | |
| − | == Structure == | + | |
| + | == 几 can be used to mean a few specific things == | ||
| + | |||
| + | The simplest way to use 几 is to use it directly with a measure word. It means "a few", less than ten or so, things. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Structure=== | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Examples == | + | ===Examples=== |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 桌子 上 有 <em>几</em> 本 书。 | + | * 桌子 上 有 <em>几</em> 本 书。<span class="trans">There are a few books on the table.</span> |
| − | * 我 去 过 中国 <em>几</em> 次。 | + | * 我 去 过 中国 <em>几</em> 次。<span class="trans">I have been to China a few times.</span> |
| − | * 只有 <em>几</em> 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。 | + | * 只有 <em>几</em> 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。<span class="trans">Only a few people went to that gathering. </span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Structure == | + | == 几 can be used to express a few "tens" of things == |
| + | |||
| + | Similar to how in English we can say "a few dozen" or "a couple dozen", though in this case instead of "twelves of something" we are saying "tens of something". | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Structure=== | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | 几 十 + Measure Word + Noun | + | 几 + 十 + Measure Word + Noun |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Examples == | + | ===Examples=== |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 桌子 上 有 <em>几 十</em> 本 书。 | + | * 桌子 上 有 <em>几 十</em> 本 书。<span class="trans">There are a few dozen (literally "few tens") books on the table.</span> |
| − | * 我 去 过 中国 <em>几 十</em> 次。 | + | * 我 去 过 中国 <em>几 十</em> 次。<span class="trans">I have been to China a couple dozen times.(iplying that it is quite a few times, easily can lose count) </span> |
| − | * <em>几 十 </em> 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。 | + | * <em>几 十 </em> 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。<span class="trans">A couple dozen people went to that gathering. (maybe somewhere between 20 and 50 people)</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Structure == | + | |
| + | == 几 can also be used to mean a few hundred, thousand, or ten thousand == | ||
| + | |||
| + | In Chinese we can put 几 together with 百, 千, or 万, just like how in English we might say "a few hundred" or a "few thousand". | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Structure=== | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| Line 43: | Line 57: | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Examples == | + | ===Examples=== |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 桌子 上 有 <em>几 百</em> 本 书。 | + | * 桌子 上 有 <em>几 百</em> 本 书。<span class="trans">There are a few hundred bucks on the table.</span> |
| − | * 我 去 过 中国 <em>几 千</em> 次。 | + | * 我 去 过 中国 <em>几 千</em> 次。<span class="trans">I've been to China a few thousand times. (Wow!)</span> |
| − | * <em>几 万 </em> 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。 | + | * <em>几 万 </em> 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。<span class="trans">A couple tens of thousands went to that gathering. (This is a huge event, like a stadium rock concert)</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| + | |||
*[[Indicating a number in excess]] | *[[Indicating a number in excess]] | ||
Revision as of 07:33, 4 February 2013
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| This article is a stub. Editors can help the Chinese Grammar Wiki by expanding it. |
One of the definitions of the common character 几 (jǐ) is "several", "a couple" or "a few". It's an uncertain number that is at least more than one, but less than ten.
Contents
几 can be used to mean a few specific things
The simplest way to use 几 is to use it directly with a measure word. It means "a few", less than ten or so, things.
Structure
几 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
- 桌子 上 有 几 本 书。There are a few books on the table.
- 我 去 过 中国 几 次。I have been to China a few times.
- 只有 几 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。Only a few people went to that gathering.
几 can be used to express a few "tens" of things
Similar to how in English we can say "a few dozen" or "a couple dozen", though in this case instead of "twelves of something" we are saying "tens of something".
Structure
几 + 十 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
- 桌子 上 有 几 十 本 书。There are a few dozen (literally "few tens") books on the table.
- 我 去 过 中国 几 十 次。I have been to China a couple dozen times.(iplying that it is quite a few times, easily can lose count)
- 几 十 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。A couple dozen people went to that gathering. (maybe somewhere between 20 and 50 people)
几 can also be used to mean a few hundred, thousand, or ten thousand
In Chinese we can put 几 together with 百, 千, or 万, just like how in English we might say "a few hundred" or a "few thousand".
Structure
几 + 百/千/万 + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
- 桌子 上 有 几 百 本 书。There are a few hundred bucks on the table.
- 我 去 过 中国 几 千 次。I've been to China a few thousand times. (Wow!)
- 几 万 个 人 去 了 那 个 聚会。A couple tens of thousands went to that gathering. (This is a huge event, like a stadium rock concert)
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
Dictionaries
- 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 641) →buy
