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Approximating with sequential numbers
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About how many?
- Your teacher asks how many people came to the club meeting. You did not count exactly.
- to come来(completed / change)了七八个person人。 — "Seven or eight people came."
Two neighbouring numbers
- Two numbers side by side = "about, roughly": three or four三四(measure word)个, 五六天, 七八个person人. The measure word follows both.
- Use numbers that are next to each other, smaller first.
I我go去了three or four三四times次。
Build: “Seven or eight people came.”
Difficulty 3/5 · 200 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Neighbouring numbers + measure word + noun.
how many / a few几 and and more多 for "-something" and "over"
- more than ten十几 / 几十: 十几个 = "a dozen or so (11–19)", 几十个 = "dozens".
- Number + and more多: twenty二十and more多(measure word)个person人 = "twenty-odd people", a hundred一百and more多yuan块 = "a hundred and something yuan".
this这(measure word)件clothes衣服a hundred一百and more多yuan块。
Complete: “There are a dozen or so students in the class.” 班里有____个学生。
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
十几 = between eleven and nineteen.
Where the measure word goes
- The measure word comes after both numbers: three or four三四(measure word)个person人, not 三个四个person人.
- With and more多 and round tens, and more多 goes before the measure word: twenty二十and more多(measure word)个, not 二十个and more多 (for amounts under ten, and more多 follows the measure word: 三个and more多hour小时).
Which says “five or six days”?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Two neighbouring numbers, smaller first, then the measure word or noun.
around左右 and about the same差不多
- around左右 after a number = "around": thirty三十years old岁around左右 — "around thirty years old".
- about the same差不多 before a number = "about, nearly": about the same差不多五十个person人.
he他thirty三十years old岁around左右。
Match each phrase to its meaning.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
多, 几, 左右 and neighbouring numbers all give approximate amounts.
Recap
- Neighbouring numbers (three or four三四(measure word)个, 七八天) = about; more than ten十几 = 11–19; 几十 = dozens; over 20二十多 = twenty-odd.
- The measure word follows; around左右 after or about the same差不多 before a number also mean "about".
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Numbers.
Your teacher asks how many people came to the club meeting. You did not count exactly. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.