左右
About
Use 左右 (zo2 jau2) after a quantity, time, or measurement expression to mean 'about' or 'around'. Unlike English where 'about' comes before the number, 左右 always comes AFTER the phrase (e.g., 八點左右 = around 8 o'clock).
How It Works
Basic Pattern & Placement
Unlike English 'about' or 'around' which comes before a number, Cantonese 左右 is a postposition placed directly AFTER the quantity or time phrase.
Sentence Structure:
• [Quantity / Time Expression] + 左右
Examples:
• 三日左右 (saam1 jat6 zo2 jau2) = About 3 days
• 八點左右 (baat3 dim2 zo2 jau2) = Around 8 o'clock
• 二十歲左右 (ji6 sap6 seoi3 zo2 jau2) = Around 20 years old
Key Distinctions:
1. Position vs. pre-modifiers: Pre-modifiers like 大約 (daai6 joek3) and 差唔多 (caa1 m4 do1) come BEFORE the baseline figure, whereas 左右 comes AFTER. Native speakers often combine both for extra emphasis: 大約三十人左右 (daai6 joek3 saam1 sap6 jan4 zo2 jau2 - roughly about 30 people or so).
2. Attaching to quantity phrases: 左右 can attach after the entire noun phrase (e.g. 三十箱貨左右) or directly after the [Numeral + Classifier] unit followed by 嘅 (e.g. 三十箱左右嘅貨). However, it cannot split a numeral directly from its classifier (never say *三十左右箱貨).
3. Pronunciation Note: In daily spoken Cantonese, the pronunciation undergoes a changed tone (變調 bin3 diu6) from zo2 jau6 to zo2 jau2.
Examples (4)
- 佢琴晚十二點左右返屋企。
She went home at around twelve o'clock last night.
Word by Word: She last-night twelve o'clock around return home.
Attaches directly after 十二點 (12 o'clock) to express an estimated time.
- 貨車上面有三十箱貨左右。
There are approximately thirty boxes of goods on the truck.
Word by Word: Truck top-side have thirty box goods around.
Notice that 左右 comes after the complete phrase 三十箱貨 (30 boxes of goods), not immediately after the number.
- 五千字左右啦。
Around 5,000 words or so.
Word by Word: Five thousand words around SFP.
A common concise answer when giving an estimated count.
- 佢哋大約三十歲左右。
They are roughly around 30 years old.
Word by Word: They approximately thirty years-old around.
Demonstrates combining pre-modifier 大約 (daai6 joek3) with post-modifier 左右 for reinforcement.
Common Mistakes
Placing '左右' before the number due to English word order transfer ('about 3 days').
我會去左右三日。我會去三日左右。In Cantonese, '左右' is a postposition and must be placed AFTER the duration or quantity expression.
Splitting the measure phrase by placing '左右' immediately after the number.
車上有三十左右箱貨。車上有三十箱貨左右。'左右' must attach after the entire noun and classifier unit (三十箱貨), rather than interrupting the classifier.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use '左右' (about/approximately), you first need to be comfortable with expressing quantities using numbers and classifiers, as this pattern always follows a specific amount to soften it.
Related Patterns
- 大約Approximately
'大約' (daai6 joek3) means 'approximately', but it is placed BEFORE the quantity expression rather than after.
Level 2 - 差唔多About the Same / Roughly
'差唔多' (caa1 m4 do1) means 'roughly / almost', placed BEFORE a quantity or used as a standalone predicate.
Level 2 - 咁上下Thereabouts
'咁上下' (gam3 soeng6 haa2) is a colloquial postposition meaning 'thereabouts' that can also stand alone as a sentence predicate.
Level 4 - 到To/until (Endpoint)
'到' (dou2) is a very common everyday spoken postposition placed directly after a quantity or time phrase (e.g. 三日到, 八點到) to mean 'around / about'.
Level 1 - 零Zero in Numbers
'零' (ling4) attached after round numbers (e.g. 十零個) means 'ten-odd / and a bit', showing a small upward variation rather than a symmetrical +/- range.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice 左右 in Bubblegum
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