Approximating with sequential numbers

Expressing approximate numbers in Chinese is quite simple, and this article introduces one of the most basic ways to do so.

Structure

An easy way to express approximate numbers is to use two sequential numbers in a row.

Number + (Number+1)

This is similar to saying "x to y," "x or y," or "about x" in English.

Examples

• 一 两 天 Yī liǎng tiānOne or two days.
• 三 四 个人 Sānsì gè rénThree or four people
• 我 喝 了 七 八 瓶 啤酒 了 。 Wǒ hē le qī bā píng píjiǔ le. I've drunk 7 or 8 bottles of beer.
• 这 个 词 我们 学 了 两 三 次 了 。 Zhè ge cí wǒmen xué le liǎng sān cì le. We've studied this two or three times now.
• 我 等 了 你 三 四 个 小时。 Wǒ děng le nǐ sān sì ge xiǎoshí. I waited for you for three or four hours.
• 我们 七 八 年 没有 见面 了 。 Wǒmen qī bā nián méiyǒu jiànmiàn le. We haven't seen each other for seven or eight years.
• 要 做 完 这 个 工作 需要 一 两 个 月 。 Yào zuò wán zhè ge gōngzuò xūyào yī liǎng gè yuè. To complete this work, you need one to two months.
• 他们 家 的 孩子 五 六 岁 了 吧 。 Tāmen jiā de háizi wǔ liù suì le ba. Their child is about five or six years old.
• 这 个 东西 只 需要 七 八 十 块 钱 。 Zhè ge dōngxī zhǐ xūyào qī bā shí kuài qián. This thing only needs (costs) seventy to eighty kuai.
• 每 个 人 要 花 两 三 百 。 Měi gè rén yào huā liǎng sān bǎi. Every person needs to spend two to three hundred.

See also

• Indicating a Number in Excess
• Measure words for counting

Sources and further reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (p. 60) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 19-20) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (p. 459)→buy