Amounts & Quantities in Chinese 数量
shùliàng
Amount, quantity in Chinese is 数量 (shù liàng).
Also searched for as: how many, how much, quantities, a lot a little.
How many, how much? 15 essential amounts words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word you'll use most when shopping is 一共 (yī gòng), 'in total', as in 一共多少钱？ (yī gòng duō shao qián), 'how much is it altogether?'. This list covers ways to talk about quantity, from 一点儿 (yī diǎnr), 'a little', and 一些 (yī xiē), 'some', to 很多 (hěn duō), 'a lot', and 所有 (suǒ yǒu), 'all'. They help you order food, describe crowds and say whether there's enough of something.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一些 | yī xiē | some |
| 一半 | yī bàn | half |
| 一共 | yī gòng | in total |
| 每 | měi | every; each |
| 很多 | hěn duō | a lot of |
| 不少 | bù shǎo | quite a lot |
| 所有 | suǒ yǒu | all |
| 全部 | quán bù | all of it; whole |
| 只有 | zhǐ yǒu | only |
| 够 | gòu | enough |
| 剩 | shèng | to be left over |
| 一点儿 | yī diǎnr | a little |
| 大部分 | dà bù fen | most; the majority |
| 几个 | jǐ ge | a few; how many |
| 多 | duō | more; many |
Usage tips
- 很多 (hěn duō) can go straight before a noun, as in 很多人 (hěn duō rén), but 多 (duō) on its own usually can't, so say 很多书 rather than 多书.
- 所有 (suǒ yǒu) and 大部分 (dà bù fen) are normally followed by 都 (dōu) before the verb: 所有的人都来了 (suǒ yǒu de rén dōu lái le), 'everyone came'.
- 够 (gòu) is often asked in the 'A not A' pattern, 够不够？ (gòu bu gòu), and a host will keep serving until you say 够了 (gòu le), 'that's enough'.
Common mistakes
- Using 一点儿 (yī diǎnr) before an adjective for 'a bit', as in 一点儿贵: say 有点儿贵 (yǒu diǎnr guì) to complain, or 贵一点儿 (guì yī diǎnr) to mean 'a bit more expensive' when comparing.
- Reading 不少 (bù shǎo), literally 'not few', as 'not many': it actually means 'quite a lot'. For 'not many', say 不多 (bù duō).
Mini dialogue
- A老板，我要一些苹果。Lǎo bǎn, wǒ yào yī xiē píng guǒ.I'd like some apples, please.
- B要几个？Yào jǐ ge?How many?
- A六个。一共多少钱？Liù ge. Yī gòng duō shao qián?Six. How much is that altogether?
- B一共十二块。Yī gòng shí èr kuài.Twelve yuan in total.
- A我只有十块钱，够不够？Wǒ zhǐ yǒu shí kuài qián, gòu bu gòu?I've only got ten yuan; is that enough?
- B不够，那就五个吧。Bù gòu, nà jiù wǔ ge ba.Not quite, let's make it five then.
Example sentences
- 我买了一些水果。I bought some fruit.
- 蛋糕我吃了一半。I ate half the cake.
- 一共多少钱？How much is it in total?
- 我每天学十个生词。I learn ten new words every day.
- 周末公园里有很多人。There are a lot of people in the park at weekends.
- 他有不少中国朋友。He has quite a lot of Chinese friends.
- 所有的同学都来了。All the classmates came.
- 作业我全部做完了。I've finished all of the homework.
- 我只有十块钱。I only have ten yuan.
- 钱够不够？Is there enough money?
- 还剩三个苹果。There are three apples left.
- 我会说一点儿中文。I speak a little Chinese.
- 大部分人都喜欢周末。Most people like the weekend.
- 我们几个人一起去吧。Let's go together, just the few of us.
- 今天的作业很多。There's a lot of homework today.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Amounts speaking island has 8 everyday questions about amounts to prepare your own answers to.