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HSK 2 Numerals: Counting and Approximating with 万, 好多, and 多
This lesson explains the three numeral forms grouped under HSK 2 in the 2025-11 syllabus outline: the ten-thousand unit 万, the conversational quantifier 好多, and the approximation word 多, focusing on exact placement with measure words.
这个图书馆有两万本书。
Uses 两 before the single unit 万, followed by the measure word 本 and the noun 书.
× 我们班有三十个多学生。
Incorrect: Placing 多 after the measure word 个 implies a fraction of a student. Replace with 三十多个学生.
Corrected example: 我们班有三十多个学生。
Read the full explanation and examples
Large and Approximate Numbers in the HSK 2 Outline
In the 2025-11 edition of the HSK syllabus outline (labeled for 2026-07 implementation), the Level 2 numeral category introduces three essential items for handling larger and less exact quantities: 万 (ten thousand), 好多 (many or a lot of), and 多 (more than or over). Note that this level designation reflects the supplied syllabus outline rather than a guarantee about which exam version a given test center currently administers.
Together, these three items allow you to move beyond basic counting. You use 万 to express exact high-value figures, 好多 to make casual observations about large amounts without counting, and 多 to give realistic estimates around a known number.
Using 万 for Ten Thousand
While English groups large numbers by thousands, Chinese introduces a dedicated unit at ten thousand: 万. To say twenty thousand, you count two units of ten thousand. To say one hundred twenty thousand, you count twelve units of ten thousand.
For 20,000, both 两万 and 二万 occur; 两万 is very common in conversation. In 12万 and 22万, say 十二万 and 二十二万, not 十两万 or 二十两万. Do not extend that rule to every number containing a 2.
这个图书馆有两万本书。
Uses 两 before the single unit 万, followed by the measure word 本 and the noun 书.
那辆车十二万块钱。
120,000 is expressed as twelve units of 万 (十二万); 二 is required instead of 两 in 十二.
Using 好多 for Large Unspecified Quantities
Although 好多 is listed under numerals in the syllabus because it quantifies nouns, it does not represent a fixed number. Instead, it means many, a lot of, or quite a few. It carries a lively, conversational tone similar to 很多, and is very common in spoken Mandarin when the speaker feels a quantity is impressively large.
好多 can be placed directly before a noun, or before a measure word and a noun. With time words that act as their own measure words, such as 年 (year) or 天 (day), 好多 attaches directly to the time unit.
今天店里有好多人。
好多 modifies 人 directly to express a large unspecified number in casual speech.
他们认识好多年了。
好多 attaches directly to the time measure word 年.
Approximating with 多: Word Order Rules
When 多 follows a number, it indicates an excess above that number—translating to over, more than, or -odd (as in thirty-odd). In Chinese, the exact position of 多 relative to the measure word changes depending on the type of number you are estimating.
- After a round base such as 三十, put 多 before the classifier: 三十多个学生. It means more than 30 and fewer than 40; for a whole-number headcount, this is 31–39.
- After single digits (1 through 9) or numbers ending in a non-zero digit with divisible units: Place 多 after the measure word or time/measurement unit. Here, 多 represents a fractional remainder less than one unit (for example, 三年多 means three years and some extra months).
我们班有三十多个学生。
Correct: With the round number 三十, 多 stands directly after the number and before the measure word 个.
他在北京住了三年多。
With the single digit 三 and a divisible time unit 年, 多 comes after the unit to mean three years plus some months.
Common Learner Mistake and Limits
For the intended headcount, use 三十多个学生, not 三十个多学生. Here 多 goes with the round number before 个. This is not a ban on every 个 + 多 expression: 一个多小时 is a different, divisible-unit pattern.
× 我们班有三十个多学生。
Incorrect: Placing 多 after the measure word 个 implies a fraction of a student. Replace with 三十多个学生.
Corrected example: 我们班有三十多个学生。
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert English thousands into Chinese 万?
Group the digits from the right in blocks of four to read Chinese large-number units. One block is counted in 万: 10,000 = 一万, 50,000 = 五万, and 100,000 = 十万. To calculate a figure in 万, divide it by 10,000. Do not simply move one comma in every English-formatted number.
Is 好多 different from 很多?
Both mean 'many' or 'a lot of', but 好多 sounds slightly more informal and expressive in everyday conversation, whereas 很多 is neutral and works in both spoken and written contexts.
Can I use 多 with a single digit and an indivisible noun, like three people?
No. Because three is a single digit, placing 多 after 个 would mean 'three and a fraction of a person,' which does not make sense, and placing 多 right after 三 (*三多个人) is ungrammatical.
