How do you say “about 20 minutes,” “around five people,” or “approximately three kilometers” in Chinese?
Two useful expressions are 左右 (zuǒyòu) and 大约 (dàyuē).
They have similar meanings, but their positions are different.
The Key Difference
左右 (zuǒyòu) comes after the number or time expression.
Pattern:
Quantity or time expression + 左右
For example:
五个人左右
Around five people
一个小时左右
Around one hour
大约 (dàyuē) comes before the number or time expression.
Pattern:
大约 + quantity or time expression
For example:
大约五个人
About five people
大约一个小时
About one hour
📌 The meanings are very similar. The main difference is the word order:
大约 comes before.
左右 comes after.
1. Using 左右 (zuǒyòu)
When 左右 follows a number or time expression, it means “around” or “approximately.”
It is commonly used for quantities, time, age, distance and prices.
Quantity
教室里有二十个学生左右。
There are around twenty students in the classroom.
我想买五个苹果左右。
I want to buy around five apples.
Time and Duration
我们八点左右走。
We will leave at around eight o’clock.
我每天学习汉语一个小时左右。
I study Chinese for around one hour every day.
Age, Distance and Price
他二十五岁左右。
He is around twenty-five years old.
我家离学校三公里左右。
My home is around three kilometers from the school.
这件衣服要三百块钱左右。
This item of clothing costs around 300 yuan.
2. Using 大约 (dàyuē)
大约 also means “about” or “approximately.”
It usually comes before the number, quantity or time expression that it describes.
Quantity
今天大约有十五个人来上课。
About fifteen people came to class today.
冰箱里还有大约十个鸡蛋。
There are about ten eggs left in the refrigerator.
Time and Duration
坐地铁大约需要四十分钟。
Taking the subway takes about forty minutes.
电影大约九点结束。
The movie ends at around nine o’clock.
Distance and Price
从这里到车站大约两公里。
It is about two kilometers from here to the station.
这件衣服大约三百块钱。
This item of clothing costs about 300 yuan.
3. Compare the Two Patterns
Look at these two sentences:
我们要等十分钟左右。
We need to wait for around ten minutes.
我们要等大约十分钟。
We need to wait for about ten minutes.
The meaning is almost the same.
Only the position changes:
十分钟 + 左右
大约 + 十分钟
4. Can We Say 大约……左右?
You may sometimes hear sentences like:
⚠️ 今天来了大约二十个人左右。
About twenty people came today.
This sentence is understandable and appears in everyday Chinese. However, 大约 and 左右 both express approximation, so using both is repetitive.
For clear and concise Chinese, choose one:
✅ 今天来了大约二十个人。
About twenty people came today.
✅ 今天来了二十个人左右。
Around twenty people came today.
For learners, using only one is the safest choice.
5. Common Word-Order Mistakes
❌ 左右五个人
✅ 五个人左右
Around five people
❌ 五个人大约
✅ 大约五个人
About five people
A simple memory trick:
大约 looks forward, so it comes before the number.
左右 looks back, so it comes after the number. 🎯
6. What About 大概 and 差不多?
Chinese also uses 大概 (dàgài) and 差不多 (chàbuduō) to express approximation.
大概 (dàgài)
大概 is often similar to 大约 and usually comes before the approximate information.
我们大概八点到。
We will arrive at about eight o’clock.
差不多 (chàbuduō)
Before a number or amount, 差不多 can mean “about” or “roughly.”
我们走了差不多两个小时。
We walked for about two hours.
For now, beginners only need to remember these two clear patterns:
大约 + number or time expression
number or time expression + 左右
Quick Practice ✍️
Choose 左右 or 大约.
-
我们班有二十个学生______。
-
从这里到机场需要______一个小时。
-
他三十岁______。
-
今天______有十五个人来上课。
Answers
-
我们班有二十个学生左右。
-
从这里到机场需要大约一个小时。
-
他三十岁左右。
-
今天大约有十五个人来上课。
Final Review
Use 左右 after a number or time expression:
十分钟左右
Around ten minutes
Use 大约 before a number or time expression:
大约十分钟
About ten minutes
Remember:
大约 comes before. 左右 comes after.
Once you remember the position, this grammar point becomes easy. 😊