Approximations with "chabuduo"

差不多 (chàbùduō) can be used as an adjective or an adverb to express that aspects of one or more things are close to each other or the difference between them is small.

差不多 作形容词

Structure

Subject + 差不多

还有一种常用的结构是：

A 跟/和 B + 差不多

Examples

• 这 两 个 电脑 差不多。These two computers are almost the same.
• 这 几 个 杯子 差不多，你 要 哪 个？These cups are almost the same, which one do you want?
• 这 两 家 餐厅 的 菜 都 差不多。These two restaurants' dishes are more or less the same.
• 我们 的 中文 水平 差不多。Our levels of Chinese are more or less the same.
• 这 些 衣服 都 差不多，没有 我 喜欢 的。These clothes are almost the same, I don't like them.
• 这两个词的意思 差不多。These two words' meanings are more or less the same.
• 很 多 人 说 纽约 和 上海 差不多，真的 吗？Many people say New York and Shanghai are more or less the same, is that true?
• 这部电影和上一部 差不多。This movie and the last one are more or less the same.
• 你的手机跟我的 差不多。Your cellphone is almost the same as mine.
• 白葡萄酒跟红葡萄酒 差不多。White wine and red wine are more or less the same.
• 他喜欢的跟我喜欢的 差不多。He likes more or less the same as what I like.

As an adjective, 差不多 can be placed directly after the subject of the sentence, and when coupled with a 的, can modify nouns. For example:

• 他们 穿 着 差不多 的 衣服。They are wearing more or less the same clothes.
• 我们 有 差不多 的 经历，但是结果不一样。We have more or less the same experience, but the outcomes were different.

"差不多"作副词修饰形容词和动词

When using 差不多 as an adverb, place it before the adjective or verb.

Structure

差不多 + Adj./Verb

Examples

• 这 两 个 孩子 差不多 大.These two children are more or less the same size.
• 我们 差不多 高。We are more or less the same height.
• 北京 和 上海 差不多 热。Beijing and Shanghai are just about as hot as one another.
• 两 个 地方 差不多 远。The two places are about as far away .
• 在 这里，香蕉 跟 苹果 差不多 贵。Here the bananas and apples are just about as expensive.
• 我 差不多 到 公园 门口 了。I'm almost at the entrance of the park.
• 我 觉得 差不多 快 结束 了。I think it's almost done.
• 我 差不多 走 了 四 十 分钟。I walked for almost forty minutes.
• 工作 差不多 做完 了。Work is almost complete.
• 快点，球赛 差不多 开始 了。Hurry, the competition is about to begin.
• 上海 的 老外 差不多 有 十 万。Shanghai has about 100,000 foreigners.
• 这 个 房间 很 小，差不多 能 住 三 个 人。This room is really small, about three people can live here.

“差不多”作副词修饰数量或时间短语

"差不多"后面还可以加表示数量或者时间的短语。

Structure

差不多 + 数量短语/时间短语

Examples

• 他 住 在 上海 差不多 三 个 月 了。He lived in Shanghai for almost three months.
• 我 认识 这里 差不多 一半 的 人。I know about half of the people here.
• 我 在 那里 工作 了 差不多 二 十 年。I worked there for almost twenty years.
• 差不多 两 个 星期 以前，我 见 过 他。About two weeks ago I saw him.
• 一 个 人 从 上海 去 杭州，需要 差不多 两 百 块 钱。One person going from Shanghai to Hangzhou needs about 200 dollars.
• 我 跟 她 差不多 十 年 没 见 了。I haven't seen her for about ten years.

See also

• Expressing "almost" using "chadian mei"
• Expressing "almost" using "chadian"
• "Nearly" with "jihu"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 111) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 54-5) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 145) →buy