左右 (zuǒyòu) is a very versatile word with several uses, literally meaning “left right”. It is most often used to make an approximation: “around / about / roughly”. It can also be used literally, or in figurative expressions like “both sides.”
Structure:
Number + unit + 左右
Sample Sentences
我家离公司有十公里左右。My home is about 10 kilometers from the company.
会议大约有二十人左右参加。About 20 people attended the meeting.
他左右看了看，确定没人注意他。He looked left and right to make sure no one was watching.
In a Text
我每天早上七点起床。我先吃早餐，然后去公司上班。公司离家不远，大约二十分钟左右。今天早上，我出门时忘了带雨伞，外面下着小雨。我左右看了看，决定还是冒雨走去公司。到了公司，我发现今天有很多工作要做。
冒雨 (mào yǔ): to brave the rain; to go out in the rain
I get up at 7 o’clock every morning. I first eat breakfast, and then go to work at the company. The company is not far from my home, about twenty minutes or so. This morning, I forgot to bring an umbrella when I went out, and it was raining outside. I looked left and right and decided to walk to the company in the rain anyway. When I arrived, I found that there was a lot of work to do today.
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