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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'approximately' with 约 (yuē)

    Degree & Intensity
    Numbers & Quantity

    Structure

    约 + Number + Measure Word + Noun

    Explanation

    约 (yuē) means 'approximately,' 'about,' or 'roughly' and is placed before a number to indicate an estimate. It is more formal than 大约 and is common in written and news contexts.

    Examples

    • 这座城市约有八百万常住人口。

      zhè zuò chéngshì yuē yǒu bābǎi wàn chángzhù rénkǒu.

      This city has a permanent population of about eight million.

    • 从这里到机场约需要四十分钟。

      cóng zhèlǐ dào jīchǎng yuē xūyào sìshí fēnzhōng.

      It takes about forty minutes to get from here to the airport.

    • 今天的活动约有两百人参加。

      jīntiān de huódòng yuē yǒu liǎngbǎi rén cānjiā.

      About two hundred people attended today's event.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing 'approximately' with 约 (yuē) | Chinese Grammar