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或多或少 (huò duō huò shǎo) — more or less; to some extent; somewhat

Definition

A fixed phrase meaning 'to some extent' — it acknowledges a partial or imprecise degree. Somewhat softer and more idiomatic than 大致, which is a more written 'roughly / approximately'.

phrase
more or lessto some extentsomewhat

Examples

  • 或多或少。
    Měi gè rén yì shēng zhōng huò duō huò shǎo dōu huì jīng lì yì xiē kùn nan.
    Everyone will experience some difficulties more or less in their life.
  • 或多或少，。
    Tā shuō de nèi róng wǒ huò duō huò shǎo néng lǐ jiě, dàn xì jié bù qīng chǔ.
    I more or less understand what he said, but the details are unclear.
  • 或多或少，。
    Zhè liǎng kuǎn shǒu jī de jià gé huò duō huò shǎo xiāng tóng, nǐ kě yǐ suí biàn xuǎn yí gè.
    The prices of these two phones are more or less the same; you can pick either one.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

或多perhaps more
或huòperhaps多duōmuch
偏正Modifier + head
或少perhaps less
或huòperhaps少shǎolittle
偏正Modifier + head

'或多或少' sets 或多 and 或少 side by side, giving the sense of more or less.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán或huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

或 combines 戈, a weapon shape, with 員, which supplies the sound.

Open 或 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán或huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

或 combines 戈, a weapon shape, with 員, which supplies the sound.

Open 或 →

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

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Open 少 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Quantity & Amount

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