大概 and 三四个 for “About” and “Three or Four”

Pattern

大概 + number + measure word / number + next number + measure word

大概 means “about”; two neighbouring numbers like 三四 mean “three or four.”

从我家到学校大概要二十分钟。

When to use 大概 and 三四个 for “About” and “Three or Four”

Chinese has two everyday ways to give a number you are not sure about. First, put 大概 (dà gài) “about” before the number, or before the verb that comes before it: 大概二十个人, 大概要二十分钟, 他大概三点到. Second, say two neighbouring numbers one after the other, smaller first, then the measure word: 两三天 “two or three days,” 三四个 “three or four,” 七八岁 “seven or eight years old.” With numbers above ten, keep the 十 and add the two last digits: 十五六个 “fifteen or sixteen.” Use 两, not 二, at the start: 两三天.

我们班大概有三十个学生。

There are about thirty students in our class.

我等了两三天，他才给我回电话。

I waited two or three days before he called me back.

这个孩子看起来七八岁。

This child looks about seven or eight.

他大概下午三点到。

He’ll probably arrive at about three in the afternoon.

Common traps

Don’t pair 九 and 十: 九十 means “ninety.” For “nine or ten,” say 大概十个 instead; for the teens, use 十一二, 十五六.
Put the smaller number first: 三四个, not 四三个; and start with 两, not 二: 两三天.
Put 大概 before the number or verb, not after it: 大概二十分钟, not 二十分钟大概.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

这个孩子看起来七岁

This child looks about seven or eight

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Meanings

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When to use 大概 and 三四个 for “About” and “Three or Four”

Common traps

Targeted drill

Keep this pattern in review.