大概 dà gài
“roughly; probably; rough”
adverb, nounHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
大概 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 573: 大概 dàgài — Level 3; official annotation 3（6） (形、副、（名）). PDF page 94
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 大概
大概 is an everyday adverb meaning "probably" or "roughly/about" — used when you are not sure of a fact or when giving an approximate number or time. It normally comes before the verb or before the quantity word: 大概是…, 大概三点, 大概十分钟. It can also stand alone as an answer, meaning "probably so."
例句Example sentences
- 从我家到学校大概要十分钟。cóng wǒ jiā dào xué xiào dà gài yào shí fēn zhōng.It takes about ten minutes from my home to school.
- 他大概下午三点到。tā dà gài xià wǔ sān diǎn dào.He'll probably arrive at around three in the afternoon.
- 这件事我大概知道一点。zhè jiàn shì wǒ dà gài zhī dao yì diǎn.I roughly know a little about this matter.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他到大概三点。
✓他大概三点到。
As an adverb of approximation, 大概 must go before the verb or the time word, not after the verb.