多 duō — many; much; a lot of; numerous; multi-
公园里有很多人。Gōng yuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén.There are many people in the park.
Common words: 多少 (duō shǎo)、许多 (xǔ duō)、好多 (hǎo duō)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "many"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "many", including 多 (duō), 诸 (zhū), 繁 (fán). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "many" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 多 (duō), 诸 (zhū), 繁 (fán) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span duō, zhū, fán — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 多 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 多 duōmany; much; a lot of; numerous; multi-Useful words: 多少, 许多
- 诸 zhū(surname); all; many; variousUseful words: 诸位, 诸多
- 繁 fáncomplicated; many; in great numbersUseful words: 频繁, 繁荣
Common words for these 3 "many" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 多 (duō) — so "many" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
多少duō shǎonumber; amount; somewhat许多xǔ duōmany; a lot of; much好多hǎo duōmany; quite a lot; much better诸位zhū wèi(pron) everyone; Ladies and Gentlemen; Sirs诸多zhū duō(used for abstract things) a good deal, a lot of诸如此类zhū rú cǐ lèithings like this (idiom); and so on; and the rest; etc频繁pín fánfrequently; often繁荣fán róngprosperous; booming繁殖fán zhíto breed; to reproduce; to propagate
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "many".
诸 zhū — (surname); all; many; various
各位老师，诸位同学，大家好！Gè wèi lǎo shī, zhū wèi tóng xué, dà jiā hǎo!Dear teachers and fellow students, hello everyone!
Common words: 诸位 (zhū wèi)、诸多 (zhū duō)、诸如此类 (zhū rú cǐ lèi)
繁 fán — complicated; many; in great numbers
春节前，街上一片繁忙的景象。Chūn jié qián, jiē shàng yí piàn fán máng de jǐng xiàng.Before Spring Festival, the streets are a busy scene.
Common words: 频繁 (pín fán)、繁荣 (fán róng)、繁殖 (fán zhí)
All 3 characters
Open 多、诸、繁 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.