Definitions
(adjective)
many; much; numerous; a lot of
(adjective)
more; in excess
(adverb)
often; frequently
(adverb)
how (to what extent)
Etymology
Depicts two pieces of meat together to convey the meaning "much" or "plentiful". In ancient China meat was a rare treat. Unrelated to 夕.
About
多 originally depicted two pieces of meat (肉) placed together, in oracle bone script, it showed two chunks of meat, a rare luxury in ancient China, so doubling it conveyed the idea of "much" or "plentiful". Over time, the form simplified and came to resemble a doubled 夕, but it is unrelated to that evening/moon component. The character's core meaning is "many" or "much", the opposite of few, and this extends to "surplus" or "excess". It is also widely used in questions about degree or quantity, such as 多少 (how many/how much?) and 多大 (how big/to what extent?).
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我有很多朋友。
这里多漂亮啊！
多吃饭，少说话。
我们多次见过面。
多了解一些情况。
你知道他多大了吗？
这个问题多复杂啊！
多参加活动能交很多朋友。
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