大约 dà yuē
“approximately; probably”
adverbHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3Traditional 大約
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
大约 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1128: 大约 dàyuē — Level 4; official annotation 4 (副). PDF page 108
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 大约
大约 means about or approximately and is used before a number, amount, or time to give an estimate. It commonly appears in patterns like 大约 + number + measure word or 大约 + time. For HSK learners, it is most useful for talking about quantities and schedules.
例句Example sentences
- 我们学校大约有两千个学生。wǒ men xué xiào dà yuē yǒu liǎng qiān gè xué sheng.Our school has about two thousand students.
- 从我家到公司大约十分钟。cóng wǒ jiā dào gōng sī dà yuē shí fēn zhōng.It takes about ten minutes from my home to the company.
- 会议大约三点开始。huì yì dà yuē sān diǎn kāi shǐ.The meeting will start at about three.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗大约的十个人来了。
✓大约十个人来了。
大约 is an adverb; it cannot be followed by 的 before a number and measure word.