More Or Less (差不多)

差不多 literally means "differ not much" and is used to indicate approximate equality, similarity, or nearness. It is extremely versatile and common in everyday Chinese. It can function as an adjective ("similar/about the same"), an adverb ("almost/nearly"), or a standalone response ("close enough/good enough").

As an adjective, 差不多 compares two things and says they are approximately equal: 这两个差不多 (these two are about the same). As an adverb, it means "almost" or "approximately": 差不多三个小时 (about three hours). As a standalone response, it is one of the most Chinese expressions possible — conveying "that's close enough" or "pretty much."

Compare with 几乎 (jīhū): 几乎 is more formal, more precise, and specifically means "almost." 差不多 is more colloquial, more flexible, and carries the additional meaning of "good enough" or "approximately."