How to use 几、多少
几 + Measure Word (+ Noun) ?
To ask for a small expected count, replace the number in a counted noun phrase with 几 and retain the classifier. The question phrase stays where the quantity would normally appear, often after the verb. This preserves the ordinary sentence structure while asking the listener to supply the missing amount.
多少 asks about quantity without the same small-number expectation and can appear with or without a classifier in suitable contexts. The difference is a useful tendency rather than a precise numerical boundary that applies to every conversation. The noun may be omitted if it is already clear. Because the quantity word makes the sentence interrogative, an ordinary information question does not also require 吗.
Examples with pinyin and English
他有几个孩子？
How many kids does he have?
你家有几个房间？
How many rooms are there in your house?
他们在这里住几个星期？
How many weeks are they staying here?
你带了几件衣服？
How many pieces of clothing have you brought?
你们班有多少个学生？
How many students are there in your class?
What to remember
- Keep a classifier after interrogative 几.
- 多少 allows a less restricted expected amount.
- Keep the question phrase in the quantity's slot.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.