ChineseGrammarWiki/MD/A2/37.mw.html

<p>Expressing approximate numbers in Chinese is quite simple, and this article introduces one of the most basic ways to do so.</p>
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
<p>An easy way to express approximate numbers is to use two sequential numbers in a row.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Number + (Number + 1)</p>
</div>
<p>This is similar to saying &quot;x or y&quot; or &quot;about x&quot; in English.</p>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li><em>一 两</em> 天 <span class="pinyin"><em>yī liǎng</em> tiān</span><span class="trans">one or two days</span></li>
<li><em>三 四</em> 个 人 <span class="pinyin"> <em>sān sì</em> gè rén</span><span class="trans">three or four people</span></li>
<li>老板 昨天 喝 了<em>七 八</em> 瓶 胡萝卜 汁 。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn zuótiān hē le <em>qī bā</em> píng húluóbo zhī.</span><span class="trans">The boss drank 7 or 8 bottles of carrot juice yesterday.</span></li>
<li>这 个 词 我们 学 过 <em>两 三</em> 次 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège cí wǒmen xué guo <em>liǎng sān</em> cì le.</span><span class="trans">We've studied this word two or three times now.</span></li>
<li>我 等 了 你 <em>三 四</em> 个 小时。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ děng le nǐ <em>sān sì</em> gè xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">I waited for you for three or four hours.</span></li>
<li>他们 <em>七 八</em> 年 没 见面 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>qī bā</em> nián méi jiànmiàn le.</span><span class="trans">They haven't seen each other for seven or eight years.</span></li>
<li>要 做 完 这 个 工作 需要 <em>一 两</em> 个 月 。 <span class="pinyin">Yào zuò wán zhège gōngzuò xūyào <em>yī liǎng</em> gè yuè.</span><span class="trans">To complete this work, you need one to two months.</span></li>
<li>他们 家 的 孩子<em>五 六</em> 岁 了 吧 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen jiā de háizi <em>wǔ liù</em> suì le ba.</span><span class="trans">Their child is about five or six years old.</span></li>
<li>这 件 衣服 只 要 <em>七 八 十</em> 块 钱 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn yīfu zhǐ yào <em>qī bā shí</em> kuài qián.</span><span class="trans">This clothing only costs seventy to eighty kuai.</span></li>
<li>这 几 本 书 花 了 我 <em>两 三 百</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Zhè jǐ běn shū huā le wǒ <em>liǎng sān bǎi</em>.</span><span class="trans">These few books cost me two or three hundred kuai.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="Indicating_a_number_in_excess" title="wikilink">Indicating a number in excess</a></li>
<li><a href="Measure_words_for_counting" title="wikilink">Measure words for counting</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="A_Practical_Chinese_Grammar_For_Foreigners_(外国人实用汉语语法)" title="wikilink">A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)</a> (p. 60) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-23&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;asin=B001J0ADWA&amp;camp=536&amp;creative=3132&amp;creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition" title="wikilink">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition</a> (pp. 19-20) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0415372615">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(基础汉语40课下册）" title="wikilink">40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册）</a> (p. 459)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=allset-20">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
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<p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p>