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Expressing generic numbers in Chinese
Numbers & Quantity
Structure
Number + Classifier + Noun
Explanation
Chinese numerals (一, 二, 三, etc.) are used in various contexts including counting, ordering, and literary expressions. When numbers appear in sequence, they can convey a poetic or enumerative effect. For example, 一去二三里 uses numbers in a classical verse to describe distances.
Examples
今天买了三四个苹果和七八个橘子。
jīntiān mǎi le sān sì gè píngguǒ hé qī bā gè júzi.
Today I bought three or four apples and seven or eight oranges.
这条街上开了五六家咖啡店。
zhè tiáo jiē shàng kāi le wǔ liù jiā kāfēidiàn.
Five or six coffee shops have opened on this street.
教室里坐着二十几个学生。
jiàoshì lǐ zuòzhe èrshí jǐ gè xuéshēng.
About twenty-some students were sitting in the classroom.