左右 / 上下
HSK 4- Measure words
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
左右 and 上下 are placed after a quantity to express approximation, meaning "about" or "approximately."
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
Use 左右 (zuǒyòu) and 上下 (shàngxià) after a number to express approximation, similar to 'about', 'approximately', or 'around' in English. This structure is very common in everyday communication.
左右 is the most widely used form and can apply to almost any type of quantity, such as time, age, and price. 上下 carries a similar meaning but is more commonly used with age, temperature, or values on a scale.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 我们班有二十个学生左右。繁: 我們班有二十個學生左右。Wǒmen bān yǒu èrshí ge xuéshēng zuǒyòu.
Our class has around twenty students.
- 他看起来四十岁上下。繁: 他看起來四十歲上下。Tā kàn qǐlái sìshí suì shàngxià.
He looks like he's around forty years old.
- 我每天学习汉语一个小时左右。繁: 我每天學習漢語一個小時左右。Wǒ měitiān xuéxí hànyǔ yí ge xiǎoshí zuǒyòu.
I study Chinese for about one hour every day.
- 这件衣服三百块钱左右。繁: 這件衣服三百塊錢左右。Zhè jiàn yīfu sānbǎi kuài qián zuǒyòu.
This piece of clothing costs around three hundred yuan.
- 会议九点左右开始。繁: 會議九點左右開始。Huìyì jiǔ diǎn zuǒyòu kāishǐ.
The meeting starts around nine o'clock.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:左右三十个人来了。Correct:三十个人左右来了。
左右/上下 must come after the quantity phrase, not before it like 'khoảng' in Vietnamese.
- Wrong:他大概三十岁左右。Correct:他大概三十岁。
大概 and 左右 both mean 'approximately'; avoid using them together to prevent redundancy.