Introduction
多少 (duōshao) also asks "how many" or "how much", but without the small-number assumption behind 几 (jǐ). Prices, phone numbers, the size of a school — anything whose answer could run high takes 多少.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + Verb + 多少 (duōshao) + (Measure Word) + Noun?
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 多少 + 钱 | 这个多少钱？(Zhège duōshao qián?) | How much is this? |
| Subj + V + 多少 + N | 有多少人？(Yǒu duōshao rén?) | How many people are there? |
| Subj + V + 多少 + MW + N | 你有多少本书？(Nǐ yǒu duōshao běn shū?) | How many books do you have? |
| N + 是多少 | 你的电话是多少？(Nǐ de diànhuà shì duōshao?) | What's your phone number? |
| 几 + MW + N（small） | 几个人 (jǐ ge rén) | how many people — a handful |
几 (jǐ) or 多少 (duōshao)?
- 几 (jǐ) expects fewer than ten and must take a measure word: 几个人 (jǐ ge rén).
- 多少 (duōshao) takes any number at all, and the measure word is optional: 多少人 (duōshao rén) or 多少个人 (duōshao ge rén).
- Money is always 多少钱 (duōshao qián), never 几钱 (jǐ qián).
- A small child's age is 几岁 (jǐ suì); a phone number is 多少 (duōshao). The size of the expected answer decides.
Examples
这个多少钱？
Zhège duōshao qián?
How much is this?
你们学校有多少学生？
Nǐmen xuéxiào yǒu duōshao xuéshēng?
How many students are there at your school?
你的电话号码是多少？
Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?
What's your phone number?
你有多少本中文书？
Nǐ yǒu duōshao běn Zhōngwén shū?
How many Chinese books do you have?
今天有多少人来？
Jīntiān yǒu duōshao rén lái?
How many people are coming today?
一共多少钱？
Yígòng duōshao qián?
How much is that altogether?
Usage Notes
- 多少 (duōshao) carries a neutral tone on the second syllable — duōshao, not duōshǎo.
- The measure word after 多少 (duōshao) may be dropped, and usually is with 人 (rén) and 钱 (qián).
- Numbers that are read out digit by digit — phone numbers, room numbers — are always asked with 多少 (duōshao): 你住多少号房间？(Nǐ zhù duōshao hào fángjiān?)
- Like 几 (jǐ), a 多少 (duōshao) sentence is already a question and never takes 吗 (ma).
- 这个多少钱？(Zhège duōshao qián?) is the single most useful sentence in this lesson — the whole of shopping runs on it.