<ul>
<li>五百多人 is correct and colloquial.</li>
<li>五百余人 is correct and formal.</li>
<li>五百人多 is not correct.</li>
<li>五百人余 is not grammatical in modern Mandarin but contextually valid in ancient Chinese. It may appear a lot in ancient stories written in vernacular language. </li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-29T20:09:04.360Z
2014-07-29T20:09:04.360Z
NS.X.
<p>I've just learned a new formal word 余 and I'm trying to understand it's placement. I know that roughly it means 多 but in a more formal way. If for example, I was saying "more than 500 people" I think I could say both</p>

<p>五百多人， 
and
五百人多 （correct me if I'm wrong on this one) </p>

<p>However, could I say </p>

<p>五百余人？ 
五百人余？ </p>

<grammar>
Can 余 (more than) go after the measure word?
# Can 余 (more than) go after the measure word?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-29)

I've just learned a new formal word 余 and I'm trying to understand it's placement. I know that roughly it means 多 but in a more formal way. If for example, I was saying "more than 500 people" I think I could say both

五百多人，
and
五百人多 （correct me if I'm wrong on this one)

However, could I say

五百余人？
五百人余？

**Tags:** grammar

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-07-29. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

* 五百多人 is correct and colloquial.
* 五百余人 is correct and formal.
* 五百人多 is not correct.
* 五百人余 is not grammatical in modern Mandarin but contextually valid in ancient Chinese. It may appear a lot in ancient stories written in vernacular language.


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