Approximations with "chabuduo"

形容词或者副词，表示“某些方面接近，差别很少”。 作为形容词，可以直接放在主语后面，也可以加“的”修饰名词。

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. 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.

Structure

Subject （+ V.） + 差不多 （+ 的 + Noun）

Examples

• 这 两 款 电脑 差不多，你 要 哪 个？These two computers are almost the same, which one do you want?
• 很 多 人 说 纽约 和 上海 差不多，真的 吗？Many people say New York and Shanghai are similar, is that true?
• 我们 的 中文 水平 差不多。Our levels of Chinese are almost the same.
• 他们 穿 着 差不多 的 衣服。They are wearing similar clothes.
• 这 两 个 人 有 差不多 的 经历，但是 结果 不 一 样。These two people have similar experiences, but the outcome is different.

Structure

作为副词，可以放在动词、形容词等前面。 When using 差不多 as an adverb, place it before the adjective or verb.

差不多 + adj./V./numeral-classifier compound

Examples

• 这 两 个 孩子 差不多 大.These two children are almost the same size.
• 我们 差不多 高。We are almost the same height.
• 北京 和 上海 差不多 冷。Beijing and Shanghai are almost the same cold.
• 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.
• 他 住 在 上海 差不多 三 个 月 了。He lived in Shanghai for almost three months.
• 我们 认识 差不多 一半 的 人。We know almost half the people.
• 我 在 那里 工作 了 差不多 二 十 年。I worked there for almost twenty 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

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 145) →buy