很多
hěnduō
In Chinese, the English phrase 'much' is most commonly expressed as 很多 (hěnduō). Wiktionary also lists 多 (duō) and 好多 (hǎoduō).
Meaning: a large amount of (det)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 很多 | hěnduō |
| 多 | duō |
| 好多 | hǎoduō |
The primary meaning of these terms is to indicate a large amount or quantity. While 多 can function as a determiner meaning 'much' or 'many', it also serves as an adverb meaning 'to a great extent'. Additionally, when 多 is placed before an adjective, it functions to ask about the degree of a quality, such as 'how tall' or 'how hot'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 很多 is composed of 很, meaning 'very' and 多, meaning 'much' or 'many'.
Which one should you use?
很多 is the standard way to say 'many' or 'much'. In contrast, 好多 is a more colloquial and emotive way to express 'so many' or 'a lot of'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
By combining 多 (much/many) with 少 (few/little), you create the interrogative word 多少, which is used to ask 'how much' or 'how many'.
How do you pronounce it?
hěnduō
Did you know?
- The character 多 originally consisted of two symbols for 'meat'. In ancient times, meat was so scarce that having two pieces of it was considered a 'large amount'.
Examples in context
- 钱太多了吗？Too much money?This example shows the use of 多 to ask if there is too much of something.Tatoeba #398083 by GlossaMatik, translation #18628 by Zifre
- 门票多少钱？How much is the entrance fee?This example shows how to use 多 to ask for a price.Tatoeba #457644 by GlossaMatik, translation #281941 by CK
- 你有多少钱？How much money do you have?This example shows how to use 多 to ask about a specific quantity.Tatoeba #771082 by GlossaMatik, translation #64597 by CK
- 406 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are talking about their weekend plans.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这个周末你有很多时间吗？Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu hěnduō shíjiān ma?Do you have much time this weekend?
- 梓涵 Zihan我没有很多时间，只有周六。Wǒ méiyǒu hěnduō shíjiān, zhǐyǒu zhōuliù.I don't have much time, only Saturday.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们周六去逛街吧。Nà wǒmen zhōuliù qù guàngjiē ba.Then let's go shopping on Saturday.
- 梓涵 Zihan好，我也想买很多衣服。Hǎo, wǒ yě xiǎng mǎi hěnduō yīfu.Okay, I also want to buy much clothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “much” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 多, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
