幾几 jǐ can replace a digit inside a number (十幾几 shí jǐ, 幾几百 jǐ bǎi) or stand right before a measure word to mean “several.” At the end, we put it side by side with 多 duō.
1Number + 幾几 jǐ (11–99)
Put 幾几 jǐ after 十 shí, 二十 èrshí, 三十 sānshí… and it fills the empty ones digit. 十幾几 shí jǐ means “ten-something” (11–19), 二十幾几 èrshí jǐ means “twenty-something” (21–29), and so on.
Quick Range Guide
11–19十幾几shí jǐten-something
21–29二十幾几èrshí jǐtwenty-something
20–90幾几十jǐ shía few dozen — several tens
200–900幾几百jǐ bǎia few hundred
2–9幾几 + MWjǐseveral, a few
Examples
我們家有二十幾本書。我们家有二十几本书。
We have over twenty books at home.
21–29 books
他學了十幾年的中文。他学了十几年的中文。
He has been studying Chinese for over ten years.
11–19 years
我奶奶八十幾歲了。我奶奶八十几岁了。
My grandmother is over eighty years old.
81–89 years old
今天三十幾度，好熱啊！今天三十几度，好热啊！
It’s over thirty degrees today — so hot!
31–39 degrees
2幾几 jǐ + 十 shí / 百 bǎi / 千 qiān / 萬万 wàn + Measure Word
In Chinese, we can combine 幾几 jǐ with 十 shí, 百 bǎi, 千 qiān, or 萬万 wàn, just as in English you might say “a few hundred” or “a few thousand.”
我身上只有幾十塊錢，不夠買飯。我身上只有几十块钱，不够买饭。
I only have a few tens of dollars on me, not enough to buy a meal.
這家店一天能賣幾百杯咖啡。这家店一天能卖几百杯咖啡。
This shop can sell a few hundred cups of coffee a day.
我們學校有幾千個學生。我们学校有几千个学生。
Our school has a few thousand students.
這台電腦要幾萬塊錢。这台电脑要几万块钱。
This computer costs tens of thousands of dollars.
3幾几 jǐ + Measure Word — Several (2–9)
On its own before a measure word, 幾几 jǐ means “several” or “a few” — usually somewhere between 2 and 9.
我上網買了幾本書。我上网买了几本书。
I bought several books online.
他有幾位中國朋友。他有几位中国朋友。
He has several Chinese friends.
他在台灣住了幾年。他在台湾住了几年。
He has lived in Taiwan for several years.
怎麼說你幾句，你就生氣了？怎么说你几句，你就生气了？
I just said a few words to you; why did you get angry?
喝了幾杯酒後，他開始哭了起來。喝了几杯酒后，他开始哭了起来。
After drinking a few cups of alcohol, he started crying.
📌 Question or “A Few”?
In a question, 幾几 jǐ asks “how many” (you met this in HSK 1). In a statement, the very same 幾几 jǐ means “a few.” The sentence type — and the question mark — tells you which one it is.
你有幾個哥哥？你有几个哥哥？
How many older brothers do you have?
question → “how many”
我在日本有幾個好朋友。我在日本有几个好朋友。
I have a few good friends in Japan.
statement → “a few”
4好幾几 hǎojǐ — Quite a Few
Add 好 hǎo in front and 幾几 jǐ becomes 好幾几 hǎojǐ, “quite a few” — usually more than five, and more than the speaker expected. It works just like 幾几 jǐ: before a measure word, or before 十 shí / 百 bǎi / 千 qiān.
他比我大好幾歲。他比我大好几岁。
He is quite a few years older than me.
這部電影，你已經看了好幾遍了。这部电影，你已经看了好几遍了。
You’ve already watched this movie quite a few times.
我已經好幾年沒回國了。我已经好几年没回国了。
I haven’t returned to my home country for quite a few years.
昨天好幾百個人來看他。昨天好几百个人来看他。
Several hundred people came to see him yesterday.
5幾几 jǐ vs 多 duō
Both make a number fuzzy, but they sit in different places: 幾几 jǐ replaces a digit, while 多 duō is added on after a number.
| 幾几 jǐ | 多 duō |
|---|
| 11–19 | 十幾几 shí jǐ ✅ | 十多 shí duō ✅ |
| 20s, 30s… | 二十幾几 èrshí jǐ ✅ | 二十多 èrshí duō ✅ |
| Before 百 bǎi / 千 qiān | 幾几百 jǐ bǎi ✅ (a few hundred) | ✗ — say 一百多 yìbǎi duō (100-something) |
| After 1–9 + MW | ✗ | 五個个多月 wǔ ge duō yuè ✅ (five and a bit) |
| Alone + MW | 幾几本書书 jǐ běn shū ✅ (several books) | ✗ — 多 duō can’t mean “several” alone |
| In a question | 幾几個个？ jǐ ge ✅ | ✗ — use 多少 duōshǎo |
When Both Work
With round tens (十 shí, 二十 èrshí, 三十 sānshí…), 十幾几 shí jǐ and 十多 shí duō are interchangeable in everyday speech.
我等了十幾分鐘。我等了十几分钟。
I waited for over ten minutes.
我等了十多分鐘。我等了十多分钟。
I waited for over ten minutes.
same meaning
When Only One Works
他三個多月沒回家了。他三个多月没回家了。
He hasn’t been home for over three months.
only 多 duō — 幾几 jǐ can’t follow 三個个 sān ge
我買了幾個蘋果。我买了几个苹果。
I bought a few apples.
only 幾几 jǐ — 多 duō can’t stand alone before a measure word
6Common Mistakes
❌我買了多本書。我买了多本书。
✅我買了幾本書。我买了几本书。
To say “several,” use 幾几 jǐ + measure word. 多 duō can’t stand alone before a measure word.
❌他走了五個幾小時。他走了五个几小时。
✅他走了五個多小時。他走了五个多小时。
After a single digit + measure word, only 多 duō works (“five-and-a-bit hours”).
❌有多百個人。有多百个人。
✅有幾百個人。有几百个人。
幾几 jǐ can go before 百 bǎi; 多 duō can’t. For “100-something,” say 一百多 yìbǎi duō.
7Practice
Try saying each sentence in Chinese, then tap to check.
01Near my home, there are over ten food stalls. Which one would you like to try?
我家附近有十幾家小吃店，你想試試哪一家？我家附近有十几家小吃店，你想试试哪一家？
👆 Tap to reveal
02I have been working in this city for the past several years.
我過去幾年一直在這個城市工作。我过去几年一直在这个城市工作。
👆 Tap to reveal
03The coffee shop offers cakes in quite a few flavors.
咖啡店裡有好幾種口味的蛋糕。咖啡店里有好几种口味的蛋糕。
👆 Tap to reveal
04He has only been to Japan a few times.
他只去過日本幾次。他只去过日本几次。
👆 Tap to reveal
05There were a few hundred people at yesterday’s concert.
昨天的音樂會有幾百個人。昨天的音乐会有几百个人。
👆 Tap to reveal
06My older brother is in his twenties.
我哥哥二十幾歲。我哥哥二十几岁。
👆 Tap to reveal
07I called you quite a few times!
我給你打了好幾次電話！我给你打了好几次电话！
👆 Tap to reveal
08This bag only costs a few dozen kuai.
這個包只要幾十塊。这个包只要几十块。
👆 Tap to reveal
