How to write 几 (jǐ, “how many”)
几, an HSK 1 character, is read jǐ for “how many” and “several”, and also jī (“small table”). The traditional form is 幾, 12 strokes instead of 2. On its own it is an HSK 1 word; it also forms 几乎 (“almost”), 寥寥无几 (“(idiom) very few”) and 几个 (“a few”). Japanese reads it ki, “table”.
- Pinyin
- jǐ, jī
- Strokes
- 2
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 几 (“how many”)
- Traditional
- 幾
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
As a left-right character it splits into 丿 (“slash”), stroke 1; 乙 (“second”), stroke 2, written the left part first.
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdownwards → down and left
- Horizontal-turn-curve-hook ㇈toprightwards → downwards → rightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 2 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Traditional form
- Simplified
- 几 · 2 strokes
- Traditional
- 幾 · 12 strokes · see its strokes
Trace it
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Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| jǐ third tone | how many; how much; several; a few | 幾 | 寥寥无几 几个 几分 几千 |
| jī first tone | small table; (literary) almost | 幾 | 几乎 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 78 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 几
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 几 幾 | jǐ | how many; how much HSK 1 |
| 几乎 幾乎 | jīhū | almost; nearly HSK 3 |
| 寥寥无几 寥寥無幾 | liáoliáo-wújǐ | (idiom) very few HSK 7-9 |
| 几个 幾個 | jǐge | a few; several |
| 几分 幾分 | jǐfēn | somewhat; a bit |
| 几千 幾千 | jǐqiān | several thousand |
| 几多 幾多 | jǐduō | how much; how many |
| 几天 幾天 | jǐtiān | several days |
| 几岁 幾歲 | jǐsuì | how old are you? (familiar, or to a child) |
| 几年 幾年 | jǐnián | a few years; several years |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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Contain it:
HSK 1, in list order: