许多

• Pinyin: xǔ duō
• Hanzi breakdown: 许 = 讠(speech) + 午 (noon, phonetic), meaning 'to allow/so much'; 多 = two 夕 (evening) stacked, meaning 'many'

Meaning

Many or a lot of. Used to indicate a large quantity or number of something.

许多 is slightly more formal than 很多 but is still common in both spoken and written Chinese. It can modify both countable and uncountable nouns. Related words include 很多 (very many, more colloquial), 不少 (quite a few), and 大量 (a large amount, more formal).

Examples

1. 这里有许多好吃的东西。 There are many delicious things here.
2. 许多人喜欢在公园里散步。 Many people like to take walks in the park.
3. 我去过许多国家。 I have been to many countries.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我有许多朋友。(I have many friends.)
• 许多学生都通过了考试。(Many students passed the exam.)

Don't Say

• 我许多喜欢这个 (许多 modifies nouns, not verbs — say 我很喜欢这个 to mean 'I like this a lot')

Origin & History

许 means 'to allow' or 'perhaps,' and in this context carries a sense of 'so much as.' 多 means 'many' or 'much.' Together they form an emphatic expression meaning 'a great many.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal