几 (jǐ): How to Say “A Few” / “Several”
Beyond “how many?”, 几 (jǐ) also means “a few / several” — an uncertain small number, usually under ten. It works like a number: 几 + measure word + noun (几个苹果 = “a few apples”), and scales up as 几十, 几百, 几万.
Why this trips learners up
You probably first met 几 (jǐ) as the question word “how many?”. But in a statement, the very same 几 means “a few” or “several” — a vague small number, more than one and usually under ten. It slots in exactly where a number would: 几 + measure word + noun. 我买了几个苹果 = “I bought a few apples”; 桌上有几本书 = “there are a few books on the table”. No question — just an everyday “a few”.
The handy part is how it scales. Park 几 in front of a place-word and it grows: 几十 = “a few dozen” (literally “a few tens”), 几百 = “a few hundred”, 几千, even 几万 = “tens of thousands”. And 好几 (hǎojǐ) bumps the count higher — “quite a few”, usually five to ten: 我去过好几次 = “I've been quite a few times”. The one thing to watch is word order: 几百 is “a few hundred”, but flip it to 百几 and you've said “a hundred-odd” (101–109) — a completely different number.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
wǒ 我 Subject xiǎng 想 Function word mǎi 买 Verb jǐ 几 Pattern gè 个 Measure word píngguǒ 苹果 Object
I want to buy a few apples.
wǒ 我 Subject děng 等 Verb le 了 Function word jǐ 几 Pattern fēnzhōng 分钟 Measure word
I waited a few minutes.
fángjiān lǐ 房间里 Place yǒu 有 Verb jǐ 几 Pattern bǎ 把 Measure word yǐzi 椅子 Object
There are a few chairs in the room.
wǒmen bān 我们班 Subject yǒu 有 Verb jǐ 几 Pattern shí 十 Number gè 个 Measure word xuésheng 学生 Object
Our class has a few dozen students (几十 = “a few tens”).
zhè chǎng yīnyuèhuì 这场音乐会 Subject lái 来 Verb le 了 Function word jǐ 几 Pattern bǎi 百 Number rén 人 Object
A few hundred people came to the concert.
zhè tái shǒujī 这台手机 Subject yào 要 Verb jǐ 几 Pattern qiān 千 Number kuài 块 Measure word
This phone costs a few thousand kuai.
zhè zuò xiǎo chéng 这座小城 Subject yǒu 有 Verb jǐ 几 Pattern wàn 万 Number rén 人 Object
This small town has tens of thousands of people (几万).
zhè běn shū 这本书 Object wǒ 我 Subject kàn 看 Verb le 了 Function word hǎojǐ 好几 Pattern biàn 遍 Measure word
I've read this book quite a few times (好几 = “quite a few”).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 几 is a number, so it needs a measure word before the noun — 几个苹果, not 几苹果. Same rule as 三个 or 五个: a number (or 几) never lands straight onto the noun.
Why it happens: Order changes the meaning. 几 in FRONT of the unit means “a few of them” — 几百 = “a few hundred”. Flip it to 百几 and 几 becomes the small leftover: 百几 = “a hundred and a few” (101–109). Keep 几 in front for “a few hundred”.
Why it happens: 好几 (“quite a few”) is still a number phrase — it needs its measure word too. “I've been to Beijing quite a few times” is 好几次, not a bare 好几 + 北京.
Compare & contrast
| 几 = “a few” (a statement) | 几 = “how many?” (a question) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我买了几个。wǒ mǎi le jǐ gè. = I bought a few. | 你买了几个？nǐ mǎi le jǐ gè? = How many did you buy? | 我买了几个 states “I bought a few”. 你买了几个？asks “how many did you buy?”. Same words — the question mark (and the asking) is the only difference. |
| 桌上有几本书。zhuō shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū. = a few books | 桌上有几本书？zhuō shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū? = how many books? | 桌上有几本书 = “there are a few books on the table”. 桌上有几本书？= “how many books are on the table?”. One 几, two readings. |
Try it yourself
Say “I have a few friends” — tap the words into order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
几 (jǐ): How to Say “A Few” / “Several” grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.