Learn Approximating with sequential numbers in Mandarin Chinese. Clear HSK 3 grammar explanation with examples in Chinese, pinyin, and English. Free on Dumplingo.
In Chinese, you can show approximation by placing two sequential numbers together, similar to saying 'two or three' or 'ten to twenty' in English. This structure is commonly used to give rough quantities or estimates. Examples: 1. 我等了两三分钟。 Wǒ děng le liǎng sān fēnzhōng. I waited two or three minutes. 2. 他看了七八本书。 Tā kàn le qī bā běn shū. He read seven or eight books. 3. 我们走了十几公里。 Wǒmen zǒu le shí jǐ gōnglǐ. We walked more than ten kilometres. Notes: - The numbers must be sequential, like 二三, 三四, 七八. - It expresses approximation, not exact counting. - 几 (jǐ) is often used after numbers like 十几 (more than ten), 二十几 (twenty-something). Structure: [Number1][Number2] + [Measure word] + [Noun] More examples: - 他休息了三四天。 (Tā xiūxi le sān sì tiān.) - He rested three or four days. - 我买了五六个苹果。 (Wǒ mǎi le wǔ liù ge píngguǒ.) - I bought five or six apples. - 教室里有二三十个人。 (Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu èr sānshí ge rén.) - There are twenty to thirty people in the classroom. Next grammar point: [Expressing appearance with 看起来 (kànqilai)](/grammar/hsk3/kanqilai_appearance)