三四百 (sān sì bǎi) — (approximate number) three to four hundred, abo… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An approximate number meaning 'three to four hundred', similar to 三四百块 and 三四百人. It is used the same way as other 几百 approximations like 三百多, just spanning a wider range.

numeral

(approximate number) three to four hundredabout 300–400

Examples

三四百。
Wǒ men bān yǒu sān sì bǎi gè xué shēng.
There are about 300 to 400 students in our class.
三四百。
Zhè běn shū dà yuē sān sì bǎi yè.
This book is about 300 to 400 pages.
三四百。
Tā měi gè yuè zhuàn sān sì bǎi kuài qián.
He earns about 300 to 400 yuan each month.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

三四three or four

三sānthree四sìfour

联合Side by side

百bǎihundred

三 and 四 give three or four, and 百 sets the scale, so about 300 to 400.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

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

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

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

一白百

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

白bái百bǎi

Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

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