多 (Duō)

多 (duō) for “Over” or “More Than”: Learn how to express approximate quantities greater than a specific number using 多 in Chinese

Basic Grammar Concept

In Chinese, 多 (duō) can mean “over” or “more than” when used after numbers to indicate approximate quantities that are greater than the specified number.

The position of 多 in the sentence depends on whether the number ends in a zero or a non-zero digit (1-9).

 Two Different Patterns Based on Number EndingNumbers Ending 1-9
Number + Measure + 多 + Noun
六个多月
more than six months

                            
                        
多 comes after measure word
Numbers Ending in 0
Number + 多 + Measure + Noun
二十多瓶水
over twenty bottles of water

                            
                        
多 comes before measure word

Pattern Structure Visualization

Number

六

six

Specifies the base quantity

Measure Word

个

general measure

Classifies the noun

多 (duō)

over/more than

Indicates “more than”

Noun

月

month

What is being counted

Complete Phrase: 六个多月
(more than six months)

Key Grammar Rule

The position of 多 (duō) depends entirely on whether the number ends in zero or not:

Non-zero ending (1-9):

Number + Measure + 多 + Noun

liù + gè + duō + yuè

六个多月

more than six months

Zero ending:

Number + 多 + Measure + Noun

èrshí + duō + píng + shuǐ

二十多瓶水

over twenty bottles of water

Remember: This distinction is strict in Chinese grammar. Using the wrong pattern is incorrect.

Numbers Ending in 1-9 (Non-Zero)

When the number ends in a digit from 1 to 9 (non-zero ending), the pattern is: Number + Measure Word + 多 + Noun.

In this pattern, 多 comes after the measure word, indicating that the quantity is slightly more than the specified number.

NU + M + 多 + N

Examples with Numbers Ending 1-9

Structure	Chinese	English Translation
NU + M + 多 + N	六个多月 liù gè duō yuè	more than six months
NU + M + 多 + N	两块多钱 liǎng kuài duō qián	more than two kuai (yuan)
NU + M + 多 + N	五个多小时 wǔ gè duō xiǎoshí	more than five hours
NU + M + 多 + N	一斤多猪肉 yì jīn duō zhūròu	more than one jin of pork (1 jin = 0.5 kg)

Exact vs Approximate

With non-zero ending numbers, 多 indicates a small increment over the exact number:

五个多小时

wǔ gè duō xiǎoshí

more than five hours

Range: Between 5 and 6 hours

Implied: Probably 5 hours and some minutes

Key point: When the number ends in 1-9, 多 usually means “a little more than” the exact number.

Measure Word Function

The measure word is required in this pattern when counting nouns:

With measure word (Correct):

六个多月

liù gè duō yuè

more than six months

Without measure word (Incorrect):

六多月

liù duō yuè

(Missing measure word 个)

个 (gè)

个

gè

General measure word

Used for: months, hours, people
Example: 五个多月

块 (kuài)

块

kuài

For Chinese yuan (money)

Used for: Chinese currency
Example: 两块多钱

斤 (jīn)

斤

jīn

Chinese weight unit (0.5 kg)

Used for: weight measurements
Example: 一斤多猪肉

瓶 (píng)

瓶

píng

For bottles/containers

Used for: bottles, jars
Example: 三瓶多水

Numbers Ending in 0 (Zero)

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