Here’s a detailed explanation of the common Chinese grammar pattern 几次 (jǐ cì) meaning ‘several times’, along with examples:

几次 (jǐ cì) meaning ‘several times’:

Structure: This pattern is used to indicate the repetition or occurrence of an action or event for a few times. It is formed by placing 几次 (jǐ cì) after a verb or action.

• Example: 我去过那个城市几次了 (wǒ qù guò nàgè chéngshì jǐ cì le) – “I have been to that city several times.”

In this pattern, 几次 (jǐ cì) is used to express an indefinite number of times, suggesting that the action or event has happened multiple times without specifying an exact count.

This pattern is commonly used in Chinese to describe the frequency or repetition of an action, event, or experience. It provides a sense of multiple occurrences without specifying a precise number. Here are a few more examples:

• 我打电话给他几次，他都没接 (wǒ dǎ diànhuà gěi tā jǐ cì, tā dōu méi jiē) – “I called him several times, but he didn’t answer.”
• 他迟到了几次，老师很生气 (tā chídào le jǐ cì, lǎoshī hěn shēngqì) – “He was late several times, and the teacher was angry.”
• 我看过这部电影几次了，每次都很喜欢 (wǒ kàn guò zhè bù diànyǐng jǐ cì le, měi cì dōu hěn xǐhuān) – “I have watched this movie several times, and I liked it every time.”

By using 几次 (jǐ cì) to indicate ‘several times’, you can express the repetition or frequency of an action or event without specifying an exact number in Chinese.

Dialogue

Person A: 你去过这家餐厅几次了？

(How many times have you been to this restaurant?)

(Nǐ qùguò zhè jiā cāntīng jǐ cìle?)

Person B: 我去过两次。他们的食物很美味。

(I have been there twice. Their food is delicious.)

(Wǒ qùguò liǎng cì. Tāmen de shíwù hěn měiwèi.)

Person A: 我还没去过呢，听说很受欢迎。

(I haven’t been there yet. I heard it’s very popular.)

(Wǒ hái méi qùguò ne, tīng shuō hěn shòu huānyíng.)

Person B: 是的，你应该去试试。他们的服务也很好。

(Yes, you should give it a try. Their service is great too.)

(Shì de, nǐ yīnggāi qù shì shì. Tāmen de fúwù yě hěn hǎo.)

Person A: 好的，下次我会去体验一下。

(Okay, I will go and experience it next time.)

(Hǎo de, xià cì wǒ huì qù tǐyàn yīxià.)

In this dialogue, the phrase “几次” (jǐ cì) is used to indicate “how many times.” Person A asks Person B about their frequency of visiting a specific restaurant, and Person B responds by saying they have been there twice. Person A mentions that they haven’t been there yet but have heard positive things about it. Person B encourages Person A to give it a try, highlighting the good food and service. Person A agrees to visit the restaurant next time. The use of “几次” helps quantify the number of times an action has occurred, in this case, visiting the restaurant.

Exercise

• Create your own sentence(s) using “几次” (jǐ cì)