大约 (dà yuē) — approximately in Mandarin
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#1290 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
大约 is pronounced dà yuē. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tā dà yuē sān diǎn dào.
He'll arrive at about three o'clock.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 大约 mean?+
大约 (dà yuē) means "approximately" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 大约?+
大约 is pronounced dà yuē. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 大约 in Mandarin?+
大约 is the #1290 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 大约 fits
Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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