…左右
HSK 6- Measure words
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
左右 used after a number or amount of time to indicate approximation, meaning "about," "around," or "approximately."
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
Use 左右 (zuǒyòu) immediately after a number (usually accompanied by a measure word) or a time reference to express approximation rather than an exact figure. It is equivalent to "about," "around," or "approximately" in English.
For example, instead of saying exactly "10 o'clock," you can say 十点左右 (around 10 o'clock) to indicate a time near that point, such as 9:55 or 10:05.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 他三十岁左右。繁: 他三十歲左右。Tā sānshí suì zuǒyòu.
He is around thirty years old.
- 我十点左右到家。繁: 我十點左右到家。Wǒ shí diǎn zuǒyòu dào jiā.
I arrived home around ten o'clock.
- 这本书五十块钱左右。繁: 這本書五十塊錢左右。Zhè běn shū wǔshí kuài qián zuǒyòu.
This book costs around fifty yuan.
- 我们走了半个小时左右。繁: 我們走了半個小時左右。Wǒmen zǒu le bàn ge xiǎoshí zuǒyòu.
We walked for about half an hour.
- 班里有二十个学生左右。繁: 班裡有二十個學生左右。Bān li yǒu èrshí ge xuéshēng zuǒyòu.
The class has about twenty students.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:我左右十点到。Correct:我十点左右到。
左右 always comes after a quantity or time expression, unlike the usage of 'khoảng' in Vietnamese.
- Wrong:他大概三十岁左右。Correct:他大概三十岁。/ 他三十岁左右。
Both 大概 and 左右 indicate estimation; they should not be used together in one sentence as this creates redundancy.