How to say “about” in Chinese
about (after a number)
“About” in Chinese is 左右, zuǒ yòu: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
左右 is read zuǒ yòu: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
At the bottom, 工 “work”.
At the bottom, 口 “mouth”: you eat with your right hand.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “左右”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 左右. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他三十岁左右tāsānshísuìzuǒyòuHe’s about thirty.
- 这座建筑左右对称zhèzuòjiànzhùzuǒyòuduìchènThis building is symmetrical: its left and right sides are the same.
More words from the lesson “Roughly this much”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “about” in Chinese?
“About” in Chinese is 左右, pinyin zuǒyòu.
What does 左右 mean?
左右 (zuǒyòu) means “about (after a number)”.
How do you write 左右?
左右 is 2 characters: 左 (zuǒ) — left; 右 (yòu) — right. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 左右?
左右 is read zuǒyòu. Tones: zuǒ — third tone, yòu — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“about” in the lesson “Roughly this much”
This word is from the topic “Money and numbers” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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