差不多

差不多, translated literally, means “the difference is not much”.

More Or Less The Same

Subject + 差不多

= more or less, more or less the same.

这几个地方都差不多。
= 这几个地方都差不多一样。(一样 is optional)
These places are all pretty much the same.

这两个词的意思差不多。
The meanings of these two words are pretty much the same.

我们的想法差不多。
Our ideas are pretty much the same.

这两幅画看上去差不多。
These two paintings look similar.

For multiple subjects:

A + 和 + B + 差不多
A + 跟 + B + 差不多

上海和纽约差不多。
Shanghai and New York are basically the same.

你的工作跟我的工作差不多。
Your job and my job are almost the same.

It is also an adverb and means ‘approximately’, ‘about’.

two or more subjects + 差不多 + adj

Compare:

(See: 几乎)

If the adjective is monosyllabic (e.g. 大、小、高、矮), it is natrual to say 差不多大、差不多小、差不多高、差不多矮。

If the adjective consists of more than one character (e.g. 好吃、容易), it is more natural to say 差不多一样好吃、差不多一样容易。

这两个孩子差不多大。
= 这两个孩子几乎一样大。
These two children are more or less the same age.

今天的菜都差不多一样好吃。
= 今天的菜都几乎一样好吃。
Today’s dishes are almost as good.

subject + 差不多 + verb

Compare:

(See: 几乎)

我差不多到公园门口了。
= 我几乎到公园门口了。
= 我快到公园门口了。
I’m almost at the entrance of the park.

电影差不多要开始了。
The movie is almost about to start.

差不多＋ number

他差不多五岁了吧？(了 means already, completion)
He should be about 5 years old, right?

这些水果差不多20块。
These fruits are about 20 yuan.

差不多＋ time

他在上海住了差不多三个月了。
He has lived in Shanghai for about three months.

他们结婚差不多二十年了。
They have been married for about twenty years.

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