几
jǐ · HSK 1
a few
🪑 几 = small table radical; once depicted a low stool people sat on
Originally a pictograph of a small low table or stool. The meaning 'how many / a few' is a phonetic loan — the character was borrowed for the question word because it sounded similar, while the original 'table' sense survives in 茶几 (tea table).
几 — single component: small table 几
几 is a pictograph of a small low table or stool, showing two legs supporting a flat top. It originally meant 'a small table' and still carries that sense in words like 茶几 (tea table). It was later borrowed phonetically for the unrelated meaning 'how many / several' (jǐ), which is now its most common use.