几 (jī) - A small table & stool
几 · jī
A small table;
stool;
nearly;
almost;
how many;
how much;
a few;
several;
used in questions about approximate quantity or number.
A small tablestoolnearly
Usage highlights
How manyAlmostSmall tableA few daysHow muchSeveral times
Usage & contexts
Examples
- How many people are there?(几个人?)
- It's almost time to leave.(几乎该走了.)
- There are a few books on the small table.(茶几上有几本书.)
- He will arrive in a few days.(他几天后到.)
Collocations
- How many(几个)
- Almost(几乎)
- Small table(茶几)
- A few days(几天)
- How much(多少; 几多 in some dialects)
- Several times(几次)
Idioms
- A narrow escape(相差无几)
- Not many left(所剩无几)
- Be on the verge of death(危在旦夕; 一息尚存, 几不可闻 in some literary uses)
Cultural background
FAQ- Originally depicted a small, low table used in ancient China for resting elbows, serving tea, or placing items.
- Used in classical Chinese and modern Mandarin to form questions about approximate numbers or quantities, reflecting a pragmatic approach to quantification.
- The character itself is a radical (Radical 16), forming part of other characters like 机, 饥, 讥.