Much 还是 many？别再犯这个常见错误了——迷你英语小课堂：英语精读讲义

Is it how much people or how many people? 語法

是 how much people 还是 how many people？

How much money or how many money? 語法

是 how much money 还是 how many money？

Whether you use much or many depends on the noun in the sentence. 語法

到底用 much 还是 many，取决于句子中的名词。

There is one very common noun that uses both much and many,

有一个非常常见的名词，既能和 much 连用也能和 many 连用，

but the meaning changes.

但意思会有所不同。

I'll tell you what it is at the end of this video,

我会在视频最后揭晓这个词是什么，

but see if you can think of it before then. 語氣意圖

看看你在那之前能不能猜到。

The important thing to remember is we use much with uncountable nouns like money, 語法

要记住的重点是，我们将 much 用于不可数名词，比如 money（金钱）、

food, information,

food（食物）、information（信息），

and many with countable nouns,

将 many 用于可数名词，

which is most nouns,

也就是大多数名词，

like people, books, cars,

比如 people（人）、books（书）、cars（汽车），

and so on. 短語搭配

等等。

If a noun is uncountable, 語法

如果一个名词是不可数的，

that just means we can't count it.

意思就是我们无法计算它的数量。

So we can't say one money, 語法

所以我们不能说 one money、

two monies,

two monies、

three monies.

three monies。

Uncountable nouns are different in every language. 用詞

不可数名词在每种语言里都是不一样的。

So make sure you check them.

所以一定要仔细核查。

We have some great mini English lessons on this topic.

关于这个主题，我们有一些很棒的迷你英语课。

We use much and many most commonly in questions and negatives. 語法

much 和 many 最常出现在疑问句和否定句中。

For example,

举个例子，

how much money did you spend? 語法

“你花了多少钱？”

And I don't have much food at home.

还有“我家里没多少吃的了”。

I really need to go shopping.

我真的需要去买东西了。

In those examples,

在这些例子中，

I used much because money and food are both uncountable.

我用了 much，因为 money 和 food 都是不可数的。

For many,

至于 many，

you might have questions like,

你可能会遇到这样的疑问句：

"Do you know many people in London?" 語法

“你在伦敦认识很多人吗？”

and negatives like,

以及这样的否定句：

"There aren't many students in my class."

“我班上没有很多学生。”

We don't really use much in positive sentences anymore. 用詞

现在我们其实已经不再把 much 用于肯定句了。

We used to, 語法

以前会这么用，

but now it sounds quite old-fashioned.

但现在听起来相当老派。

So if you say,

所以如果你说：

"I have much money,"

“我有很多钱（I have much money），”

you sound like a character in a Jane Austen novel, 文化背景

你听起来就像是简·奥斯汀小说里的角色，

which sadly you are not.

但遗憾的是，你并不是。

Nowadays,

现如今，

we only really use much in positive sentences with the words so or too. 語法

我们通常只在肯定句里把 much 和 so 或 too 连用。

So you could say,

所以你可以说：

"I have so much money," 用詞

“我的钱太多了（I have so much money），”

or even,

甚至是：

"I have too much money,"

“我钱多得花不完（I have too much money），”

which is not a problem that I have,

我倒是没这个烦恼，

but maybe you do.

但也许你有。

And if so, 短語搭配

如果有的话，

I can help you.

我可以帮你。

We sometimes use many on its own in positive sentences, 語法

有时候我们也会在肯定句里单独使用 many，

but we often do add so or too.

但通常还是会加上 so 或者 too。

So you might have sentences like,

所以你可能会听到这样的句子：

"I have so many friends.

“我有很多朋友。”

It's really hard to find the time to see them all." 短語搭配

“要抽时间见他们所有人真的很难。”

Again,

话说回来，

not exactly a bad problem to have. 習語

这也不算是什么坏事。

At the beginning of this video,

在本视频的开头，

I told you that there is one noun which uses both much and many.

我说过有一个名词既可以用 much 也可以用 many。

Did you think of it?

你想到了吗？

The answer is time.

答案就是 time（时间/次数）。

If you use time in the uncountable form with much, 用詞

如果你把 time 当作不可数名词和 much 连用，

you're talking about a duration of time.

你谈论的是一段时间。

For example,

举个例子，

how much time did you spend watching the British Council's mini English lessons?

“你花了多少时间看英国文化教育协会的迷你英语课？”

And the answer is always not enough.

答案永远是“还不够多”。

You should spend more time watching them. 短語搭配

你应该花更多时间去看。

If you use time in the countable form with many, 用詞

如果你把 time 当作可数名词和 many 连用，

you're talking about the number of times or the number of occasions that you do something.

你谈论的是做某件事的次数或场合。

For example,

举个例子，

how many times did Kate have to film this video to get it right? 講解

“凯特究竟拍了多少次，才把这个视频拍好？”

And the answer is embarrassingly high,

答案高得让人尴尬，

so let's not talk about it. 語氣意圖

所以我们还是别提了。

We've received so many questions about this, 語法

我们收到了非常多关于这个问题的提问，

but you don't need too much information to get it right.

但其实你不需要太多的信息就能搞懂。

Just remember that much is for uncountable nouns and many is for countable,

只要记住 much 用于不可数名词，many 用于可数名词，

and you'll get it right every time.

你就每次都能用对啦。