{"id":6833,"date":"2016-02-27T13:23:50","date_gmt":"2016-02-27T13:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/?p=6833"},"modified":"2022-05-02T11:42:46","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T11:42:46","slug":"roughly-speaking-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/roughly-speaking-in-chinese.html","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Roughly speaking&#8221; in Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Chinese are famously pretty vague in giving answers. As most will readily admit, they prefer to offer estimations rather than specifics, especially if there may be consequences involved. Instead of getting frustrated, we straight-talking foreigners can benefit from adopting the \u201cvague\u201d approach ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to help give your own answers an authentic air of enigma, here are four ways to say &#8220;roughly speaking&#8221;, &#8220;about&#8221; or &#8220;probably&#8221; in Mandarin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Besides, you can also check the detailed explanation video about the use of \u5e94\u8be5as well as more HSK3 related grammar tutorial videos at <a href=index-651.html>here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"mp3jWrap_0\" class=\"mjp-s-wrapper s-graphic unsel-mjp \" style=\"font-size:18px;\"><span id=\"playpause_wrap_mp3j_0\" class=\"wrap_inline_mp3j\" style=\"font-weight:700;\"><span class=\"gfxbutton_mp3j play-mjp\" id=\"playpause_mp3j_0\" style=\"font-size:18px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span>&nbsp;<span class=\"group_wrap\"><span class=\"bars_mp3j\"><span class=\"loadB_mp3j\" id=\"load_mp3j_0\"><\/span><span class=\"posbarB_mp3j\" id=\"posbar_mp3j_0\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"indi_mp3j\" style=\"font-size:12.6px;\" id=\"statusMI_0\"><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><span class=\"s-nosolution\" id=\"mp3j_nosolution_0\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><script>\nMP3jPLAYLISTS.inline_0 = [\n\t{ name: \"20160222DM\", formats: [\"mp3\"], mp3: \"aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGlnbWFuZGFyaW4uY29tL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDE2LzAyLzIwMTYwMjIyRE0ubXAz\", counterpart:\"\", artist: \"\", image: \"\", imgurl: \"\" }\n];\n<\/script>\n\n<script>MP3jPLAYERS[0] = { list: MP3jPLAYLISTS.inline_0, tr:0, type:'single', lstate:'', loop:false, play_txt:'&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;', pause_txt:'&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;', pp_title:'', autoplay:false, download:false, vol:100, height:'' };<\/script>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-%25e5%25b7%25a6%25e5%258f%25b3-zuoyou\">1. \u5de6\u53f3 (zu\u01d2y\u00f2u)<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>\u5de6\u53f3 literally means \u201cleft right\u201d, which is a fun way to express \u201caround about\u201d. Add this word after your response to emphasize it\u2019s an approximation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u5979\u5341\u5c81\u5de6\u53f3.<br>(T\u0101 sh\u00ed su\u00ec zu\u01d2y\u00f2u.)<br>She&#8217;s 10 years old, give or take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u90a3\u4e2a\u7bb1\u5b50\u5f88\u91cd\uff0c\u516b\u5341\u516c\u65a4\u5de6\u53f3.<br>(N\u00e0 ge xi\u0101ngzi h\u011bn zh\u00f2ng, b\u0101sh\u00ed g\u014dngj\u012bn zu\u01d2y\u00f2u.)<br>That box is heavy, about 80kg.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-%25e5%25a4%25a7%25e6%25a6%2582-dagai\">2. \u5927\u6982 (d\u00e0g\u00e0i)<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>\u5927\u6982 includes the character \u6982\/g\u00e0i, which means \u201cgeneral\u201d or \u201capproximate\u201d. It\u2019s mostly interchangeable with\u5de6\u53f3 and means \u201caround about\u201d and also \u201cprobably\u201d. Note that you use it <em>before<\/em> the object of your approximation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">(\u90a3\u513f) \u79bb\u8fd9\u513f\u5927\u6982\u6709\u4e8c\u5341\u5206\u949f\u8f66\u7a0b.<br>((N\u00e0&#8217;er) l\u00ed zh\u00e8&#8217;er d\u00e0g\u00e0i y\u01d2u \u00e8rsh\u00ed f\u0113nzh\u014dng ch\u0113ch\u00e9ng.)<br>It&#8217;s probably a 20-minute drive from here (to there).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u5979\u5927\u6982\u5df2\u7ecf\u665a\u4e86\u4e09\u5341\u5206\u949f\u3002<br>(T\u0101 d\u00e0g\u00e0i y\u01d0j\u012bng w\u01cenle s\u0101nsh\u00ed f\u0113nzh\u014dng.)<br>She&#8217;s already about half an hour late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u8fd9\u5927\u6982\u662f\u4ef6\u597d\u4e8b.<br>(Zh\u00e8 d\u00e0g\u00e0i sh\u00ec ji\u00e0n h\u01ceosh\u00ec.)<br>This is probably a good thing.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-%25e5%25ba%2594%25e8%25af%25a5-yinggai\">3. \u5e94\u8be5 (y\u012bngg\u0101i)<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>This is a great word for when you&#8217;re really not ready to commit to a yes, no or exact response! \u5e94\u8be5 means \u201cought to be\u201d or \u201cshould be about\u201d. Warning: In my experience, if you hear this word used as reassurance, such as \u201cIt\u2019s probably going to be OK\u201d, it might actually be a hint that all is NOT fine\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u95ee\u9898\u4e0d\u5927\u3002\u5e94\u8be5\u5c31\u5feb\u597d\u4e86<br>(W\u00e8nt\u00ed b\u00f9 d\u00e0. Y\u012bngg\u0101i ji\u00f9 ku\u00e0i h\u01ceole.)<br>It\u2019s not a big problem. It ought to be fixed shortly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u5e94\u8be5\u53ef\u4ee5.<br>(Y\u012bngg\u0101i k\u011by\u01d0.)<br>You should be able to do that \/ It&#8217;s probably OK\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u4ed6\u5e94\u8be5\u5feb\u5230\u4e86.<br>(T\u0101 y\u012bngg\u0101i ku\u00e0i d\u00e0ole.)<br>He&#8217;ll probably arrive soon.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-%25e5%2589%258d%25e5%2590%258e-qianhou\">4. \u524d\u540e (qi\u00e1nh\u00f2u)<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>This is a word that indicates that the time given is &#8220;around about&#8221; or &nbsp;a during a period of time. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u5b9d\u5b9d\u7684\u9884\u4ea7\u671f\u662f\u56db\u67089\u53f7\u524d\u540e\u3002<br>(B\u01ceobao de y\u00f9ch\u01cenq\u00ed sh\u00ec s\u00ec yu\u00e8 9 h\u00e0o qi\u00e1nh\u00f2u.)<br>The baby is due around April 9<sup>th<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom_example_style\">\u6211\u4eec\u9884\u8ba1\u65b0\u5e97\u4f1a\u5728\u516d\u6708\u524d\u540e\u5f00\u4e1a\u3002<br>(W\u01d2men y\u00f9j\u00ec x\u012bndi\u00e0n hu\u00ec z\u00e0i li\u00f9 yu\u00e8 qi\u00e1nh\u00f2u k\u0101iy\u00e8.)<br>We anticipate the new shop will open around June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that&#8217;s it, \u5de6\u53f3! Please try out these phrases and see how they work for you. I hope it\u2019s of help as you navigate the sometimes confusing, always engaging, wonderful world of Mandarin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chinese are famously pretty vague in giving answers. As most will readily admit, they prefer to offer estimations rather than specifics, especially if there may be consequences involved. Instead of getting frustrated, we straight-talking foreigners can benefit from adopting the \u201cvague\u201d approach ourselves. In order to help give your own answers an authentic air&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":6837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,176],"tags":[122,93,80,81,84],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-6833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-mandarin-online","category-usage","tag-chinese-culture","tag-how-to-use","tag-self-study","tag-speaking","tag-vocabulary","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&quot;Roughly speaking&quot; in Chinese<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/roughly-speaking-in-chinese.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&quot;Roughly speaking&quot; in Chinese\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Chinese are famously pretty vague in giving answers. 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