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 or y" or "about x" in English.

一两 天 Yī liǎng tiānOne or two days.
三四 个人 Sān sì gè rénThree or four people
老板昨天喝了七八 瓶胡萝卜汁。 Lǎobǎn zuótiān hē le qī bā píng húluóbo zhī.The boss drank 7 or 8 bottles of carrot juice yesterday.
这个词我们学过 两三 次了。 Zhège cí wǒmen xué guo liǎng sān cì le.We've studied this word two or three times now.
我等了你 三四 个小时。 Wǒ děng le nǐ sān sì gè xiǎoshí.I waited for you for three or four hours.
他们 七八 年没见面了。 Tāmen qī bā nián méi jiànmiàn le.They 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 zhège 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.
这件衣服只要 七八十 块钱。 Zhè jiàn yīfu zhǐ yào qī bā shí kuài qián.This clothing only costs seventy to eighty kuai.
这几本书花了我 两三百。 Zhè jǐ běn shū huā le wǒ liǎng sān bǎi.These few books cost me two or three hundred kuai.