几个 (jǐ gè) is a common numeral phrase meaning 'how many' in questions or 'several'/'a few' in statements. It combines the interrogative/indefinite numeral 几 (jǐ), which means 'how many' or 'a few' depending on context, and the general classifier 个 (gè), used for counting countable nouns—especially people, objects, or abstract items when no more specific classifier applies. Unlike precise numbers like 三个 (sān gè, 'three'), 几个 signals vagueness: it implies a small, unspecified quantity, usually between two and five.

This phrase is frequently used in everyday spoken Chinese—for asking about quantities ('How many friends are coming?') or making casual estimates ('I have several questions'). It’s neutral in register, appropriate for informal and semi-formal situations, but avoided in formal writing where exact numbers or more precise terms like 若干 (ruògān) are preferred. Note that 几个 cannot stand alone as a noun; it must modify a noun (e.g., 几个人, 几本书), and the noun is often omitted only when clear from context.