adjective / adverb / verb HSK 1
many · much · more · how (much/many) · to be many
Meaning
多 is one of the most fundamental words in Mandarin, expressing quantity. As an adjective, it means 'many' or 'much.' As an adverb before another adjective, it asks 'how' (as in 'how tall?'). It can also function as a verb meaning 'to exceed' or 'to be more than.'
Usage
多 is extremely common in daily speech. When used as a question word (多 + adjective), it asks about degree: 多大 'how old/big?', 多远 'how far?'. In comparisons, 多 often appears in patterns like '比...多' (more than...). Native speakers also use 多 after numbers to mean 'more than': 十多个 'more than ten.'
Examples
- 01你有多少钱??How much money do you have?
- 02他的朋友很多。.He has many friends.
Common collocations
- 很多very many, a lot
- 多少how many/much
- 多大how old/big
- 多长时间how long (duration)
Antonyms
Origin
The character 多 depicts two pieces of meat (夕), suggesting abundance or plenty. It has been used to mean 'many' since ancient times.