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  <h1>Using "<span class="pinyinst">jǐ</span>" "<span class="hanzist">几</span>" to mean "several"</h1>

  <p>One of the definitions of the common character <span class="hanzi">几</span> (<span class="pinyin">jǐ</span>) is "<b>several,</b>" "<b>a couple</b>" or "<b>a few.</b>" It's an uncertain number that is at least more than one, and probably less than five, but definitely less than ten.</p>

  <h2 id="几-jǐ-as-a-few"><span class="hanzist">几</span> (<span class="pinyinst">jǐ</span>) as "a Few"</h2>

  <p>The simplest way to use <span class="hanzi">几</span> (<span class="pinyin">jǐ</span>) to mean "<b>a few</b>" is to use it directly with a measure word.</p>

  <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">几</span> + Measure Word + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">桌子 上 有 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> 本 书。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhuōzi shàng yǒu <span class="fondjaune">jǐ</span> běn shū.</span> <br/>There are a few books on the table.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">只有 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> 个 人 去 过 那 个 地方。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhǐyǒu <span class="fondjaune">jǐ</span> gè rén qù guo nàge dìfang.</span><br/> Only a few people have been to that place.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">从 上海 到 东京 坐 飞机 只 要 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> 个 小时。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Cóng Shànghǎi dào Dōngjīng zuò fēijī zhǐ yào <span class="fondjaune">jǐ</span> gè xiǎoshí.</span> <br/>Flying from Shanghai to Tokyo only takes a few hours.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 每 天 都 要 喝 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> 杯 咖啡。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào hē <span class="fondjaune">jǐ</span> bēi kāfēi.</span> <br/>Every day I have to drink a couple cups of coffee.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 今天 开 了 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> 个 重要 的 会。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn jīntiān kāi le <span class="fondjaune">jǐ</span> gè zhòngyào de huì.</span> <br/>The boss had a few important meetings today.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="几-jǐ-as-a-few-tens"><span class="hanzist">几</span> (<span class="pinyinst">jǐ</span>) as "a Few Tens"</h2>

  <p>It is similar to how in English we can say, "<b>a few doze</b>n" or "<b>a couple dozen,</b>" though in this case instead of "<b>twelves of something</b>" we are saying "<b>tens of something.</b>"</p>

  <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">几</span> + 十 + Measure Word + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="expl pdf-long-expl"><span class="hanzi">他 只 想 学 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">十</span> 个 汉字。</span>"Dozens" is the closest we can get in natural English to the Chinese, which literally means "tens."</span><span class="pinyin">Tā zhǐ xiǎng xué <span class="fondjaune">jǐ shí</span> gè Hànzì.</span> He only wants to study a few dozen Chinese characters.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 公司 有 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">十</span> 个 员工。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu <span class="fondjaune">jǐ shí</span> gè yuángōng.</span><br/> Our company has a few dozen employees.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 写 过 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">十</span> 本 书，我 都 喜欢。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā xiě guo <span class="fondjaune">jǐ shí</span> běn shū, wǒ dōu xǐhuan.</span><br/> He wrote a few dozen books. I like them all.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这个 年轻的 演员 演 了 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">十</span> 部 电影。我都喜欢。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhège niánqīng de yǎnyuán yǎn le <span class="fondjaune">jǐ shí</span> bù diànyǐng. Wǒ dōu xǐhuan.</span><br/> This young actor has acted in dozens of movies. I like them all.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 在 国外 有 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">十</span> 套 房子。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn zài guówài yǒu <span class="fondjaune">jǐ shí</span> tào fángzi.</span> <br/>The boss has a few dozen houses abroad.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="几-jǐ-as-a-few-hundred-thousand-ten-thousand"><span class="hanzist">几</span> (<span class="pinyinst">jǐ</span>) as "a Few Hundred / Thousand / Ten Thousand"</h2>

  <p>In Chinese we can put <span class="hanzi">几</span> (<span class="pinyin">jǐ</span>) together with <span class="hanzi">百</span> (<span class="pinyin">bǎi</span>), <span class="hanzi">千</span> (<span class="pinyin">qiān</span>), or <span class="hanzi">万</span> (<span class="pinyin">wàn</span>), just like how in English we might say, "<b>a few hundred</b>" or a "<span class="hanzi">few thousand.</span>"</p>

  <h3 id="structure-2">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">几</span> + <span class="hanzist">百</span> / <span class="hanzist">千</span> / <span class="hanzist">万</span> + Measure Word + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-2">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">妈妈 每 个 月 都 给 我 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">百</span> 块 钱。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Māma měi gè yuè dōu gěi wǒ <span class="fondjaune">jǐ bǎi</span> kuài qián.</span><br/> Mom gives me a couple hundred dollars every month.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 个 月 我们 卖 了 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">千</span> 本 书。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhège yuè wǒmen mài le <span class="fondjaune">jǐ qiān</span> běn shū.</span><br/> We sold a couple thousand books this month.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">百</span> 家 外国 公司 参加 了 这个 大会。</span><br/><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">Jǐ bǎi</span> jiā wàiguó gōngsī cānjiā le zhège dàhuì.</span><br/> Several hundred foreign companies attended this conference.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 篇 文章 有 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">万</span> 个 字，太 长 了。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhè piān wénzhāng yǒu <span class="fondjaune">jǐ wàn</span> gè zì, tài cháng le.</span> <br/>This article has tens of thousands of characters. It's too long.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 认识 一 个 朋友，她 有 <span class="fondjaune">几</span> <span class="fondjaune">百</span> 双 鞋。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ rènshi yī gè péngyou, tā yǒu <span class="fondjaune">jǐ bǎi</span> shuāng xié.</span> <br/>I have a friend that has a couple hundred pairs of shoes.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="好几-hǎojǐ-as-quite-a-few"><span class="hanzist">好几</span> (<span class="pinyinst">hǎojǐ</span>) as "Quite a Few"</h2>

  <p>You can think of <span class="hanzi">好几</span> (<span class="pinyin">hǎojǐ</span>) as meaning "<b>quite a few</b>," usually in the range of five to ten.</p>

  <h3 id="structure-3">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">好几</span> + Measure Word + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-3">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">他 读 了 <span class="fondjaune"><span class="fondjaune">好</span>几</span> 遍 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā dú le <span class="fondjaune">hǎojǐ</span> biàn.</span> <br/>He's read quite a few times.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 有 <span class="fondjaune"><span class="fondjaune">好</span>几</span> 个 室友 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǒu <span class="fondjaune">hǎojǐ</span> gè shìyǒu.</span> <br/>I have quite a few roommates.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 奶奶 有 <span class="fondjaune"><span class="fondjaune">好</span>几</span> 个 孩子 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǎinai yǒu <span class="fondjaune">hǎojǐ</span> gè háizi.</span> <br/>My grandma has quite a few children.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 吃 了 <span class="fondjaune"><span class="fondjaune">好</span>几</span> 碗 米饭 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā chī le <span class="fondjaune">hǎojǐ</span> wǎn mǐfàn.</span><br/> He ate quite a few bowls of rice.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 去 过 <span class="fondjaune"><span class="fondjaune">好</span>几</span> 次 北京 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen qù guo <span class="fondjaune">hǎojǐ</span> cì Běijīng.</span><br/> We've been to Beijing quite a few times.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Indicating_a_number_in_excess" title="wikilink">Indicating a number in excess</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <h3 id="dictionaries">Dictionaries</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 641)</li>
  </ul>
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