TongTong
Sign in

七八 (qī bā) — (approximately) seven or eight; a number around seven to eight (used before a measure word)

Definition

An approximate numeral meaning 'about seven or eight' — placed before a measure word to give a rough quantity, similar to English 'seven or eight' when you don't need an exact count.

numeral
(approximately) seven or eighta number around seven to eight (used before a measure word)

Examples

  • 七八。
    Wǒ men lái le qī bā gè rén.
    About seven or eight people came.
  • 七八。
    Tā mǎi le qī bā běn shū.
    He bought about seven or eight books.
  • 七八。
    Zhè jiàn shì huā le qī bā tiān.
    This matter took about seven or eight days.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

七qīseven
八bāeight

七 and 八 together suggest an approximate small number.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 七 comes from two crossing lines: the top line runs left to right, and the next line goes down and across.

Open 七 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

八 shows two bent lines, indicating the original meaning 'to divide'; it was later used for 'eight' because the words sounded alike.

Open 八 →
Appears in
Numbers & Counting

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.