左右(zuǒyòu) vs 前后(qiánhòu) vs 上下(shàngxià)

左右 vs 前后 vs 上下

Position

1. When talking about directions or positions, “左右” refers to the left and right sides; “前后” refers to the front and back; “上下” refers to up and down, from top to bottom.

Pronoun / Noun + 左右 / 前后 / 上下

e.g.

照片里，父母站在我左右，朋友们站在我前后。(Zhàopiàn lǐ, fùmǔ zhàn zài wǒ zuǒyòu, péngyǒumen zhàn zài wǒ qiánhòu.) In the photo, my parents are standing by my side, and my friends are standing behind or in front of me.

这栋楼前后都是草地。(Zhè dòng lóu qiánhòu dōu shì cǎodì.) There is grass on the front and back of this building.

坐在他左右的人是谁？(Zuò zài tā zuǒyòu de rén shì shéi?) Who is sitting beside him?

我家上下住的都是大学老师。(Wǒjiā shàngxià zhù de dōu shì dàxué lǎoshī.) The people who live around my house are all university teachers.

冰箱上下都是食物。(Bīngxiāng shàngxià dōu shì shíwù.) There is food all over the refrigerator.

Note that in this case, 上下 can be reduplicated as 上上下下.

e.g.

雨太大了！他全身上上下下都湿了。(Yǔ tài dàle! Tā quánshēn shàngshàngxiàxià dōu shīle.) It’s raining too much! He was wet all over.

这栋楼上上下下有20层。(Zhè dòng lóu shàngshàngxiàxià yǒu 20 céng.) This building has 20 floors up and down.

Estimation

2. “左右” can be used to estimate the quantity, such as age, weight, height, price and etc.

Quantifier + 左右

e.g.

那个人三十岁左右。(Nà gè rén sānshí suì zuǒyòu.) That person is about thirty years old.

我喜欢一米八左右的男人。(Wǒ xǐhuān yī mǐ bā zuǒyòu de nánrén.) I like men who are about 1.8 meters tall.

那双鞋五百块左右。(Nà shuāng xié wǔbǎi kuài zuǒyòu.) That pair of shoes is about five hundred yuan.

“左右” can be used to indicate a period of time or a point of time.

e.g.

我们结婚三年左右了。(Wǒmen jiéhūn sān nián zuǒyòule.) We have been married for about three years.

他出差一周左右，下周才回来。(Tā chūchāi yīzhōu zuǒyòu, xià zhōu cái huílái.) He is on a business trip for about a week and will not be back until next week.

我昨天七点左右到家的。(Wǒ zuótiān qī diǎn zuǒyòu dàojiā de.) I got home around seven yesterday.

他昨天晚上十点左右才下班。(Tā zuótiān wǎnshàng shí diǎn zuǒyòu cái xiàbān.) He didn’t get off work until about ten o’clock last night.

3. “前后” only can be used to estimate time.

A point in time + 前后

This pattern refers to around a certain time.

e.g.

明天早上八点前后开会。(Míngtiān zǎoshang bā diǎn qiánhòu kāihuì.) The meeting will be held at around eight tomorrow morning.

晚上九点前后我们家人经常一起看电视。(Wǎnshàng jiǔ diǎn qiánhòu wǒmen jiārén jīngcháng yīqǐ kàn diànshì.) Our family often watches TV together around nine o’clock in the evening.

Time noun + 前后

This pattern refers to a short period of time before or after a festival or a solar term.

e.g.

春节前后，机票特别贵。(Chūnjié qiánhòu, jīpiào tèbié guì.) Around the Spring Festival, air tickets are particularly expensive.

端午前后，天气就热起来了。(Duānwǔ qiánhòu, tiānqì jiù rè qǐláile.) Around the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather became hot.

Verb + 前后

This pattern refers to a short period of time before or after a certain event.

e.g.

我们是在他搬家前后认识的。(Wǒmen shì zài tā bānjiā qiánhòu rènshí de.) We met around the time he moved.

结婚前后，他们去旅游了几次。(Jiéhūn qiánhòu, tāmen qù lǚyóule jǐ cì.) Around the time they getting married, they went to travel several times.

“前后” also refers to the period of time from the beginning to the end. In this case, 前后 can also be reduplicated as 前前后后.

e.g.

他大学的时候，前后有三个女朋友。(Tā dàxué de shíhou, qiánhòu yǒusān gè nǚ péngyǒu.) While he was in college, he had three girlfriends.

在这家公司工作时，我前后去了中国五次。(Zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò shí, wǒ qiánhòu qùle Zhōngguó wǔ cì.) While working in this company, I went to China five times.

为了治病，他前前后后花了很多钱。(Wèile zhì bìng, tā qiánqiánhòuhòu huāle hěnduō qián.) In order to treat the illness, he spent a lot of money from the beginning to the end.

我们在北京前前后后住了十多年。(Wǒmen zài Běijīng qiánqiánhòuhòu zhùle shí duō nián.) We have lived in Beijing for more than ten years.

4. “上下” only can be used to estimate age and weight, but time and distance.

e.g.

这个女人在30岁上下。(Zhège nǚrén zài 30 suì shàngxià.) This woman is about 30 years old.

10岁上下的小朋友都可以参加比赛。(10 Suì shàngxià de xiǎopéngyǒu dōu kěyǐ cānjiā bǐsài.) Children around 10 years old can participate in the competition.

这箱苹果在20公斤上下。(Zhè xiāng píngguǒ zài 20 gōngjīn shàngxià.) This box of apples weighs about 20 kilograms.

我的体重可能是在60公斤上下。(Wǒ de tǐzhòng kěnéng shì zài 60 gōngjīn shàngxià.) My weight may be around 60 kg.

✘ 一年上下 (yī nián shàngxià)

✘ 十点上下 (shí diǎn shàngxià)

✘ 二十米上下 (èrshí mǐ shàngxià)

上下 can be used to indicate the high and low of positions or status in the work or family hierarchy. In this case, 上下 can be reduplicated as 上上下下.

e.g.

这些是公司上上下下的意见。领导和员工都有自己的想法。(Zhèxiē shì gōngsī shàngshàngxiàxià de yìjiàn. Lǐngdǎo hé yuángōng dōu yǒu zìjǐ de xiǎngfǎ.) These are the opinions of the top and bottom of the company. Leaders and employees have their own thoughts.

我们全家上下从爷爷到孙女都在看手机。(Wǒmen quánjiā shàngxià cóng yéye dào sūnnǚ dōu zài kàn shǒujī.) Our whole family from grandfather to granddaughter are all watching mobile phones.

这个节目太有趣了，舞台上下一片笑声。(Zhège jiémù tài yǒuqùle, wǔtái shàngxià yīpiàn xiào shēng.) The show was so interesting, there was a lot of laughter on the stage.

学校上下从校长到学生都很重视这件事。(Xuéxiào shàngxià cóng xiàozhǎng dào xuéshēng dōu hěn zhòngshì zhè jiàn shì.) From the principal to the students, the school attaches great importance to this matter.

上下 can be used to indicate relative superiority or inferiority. It’s often used in the patterns like “难分上下” “不相上下”, which means similar, about the same.

e.g.

他们在这部电影里的表演难分上下。(Tāmen zài zhè bù diànyǐng lǐ de biǎoyǎn nán fēn shàngxià.) Their performances in this movie are about the same level.

这两个孩子的成绩不相上下。(Zhè liǎng gè háizi de chéngjī bù xiāng shàngxià.) The grades of the two children are on par.

上下 can be used to express “go up and down” as a verb.

e.g.

他年纪大了，上下楼不方便。(Tā niánjì dàle, shàngxià lóu bù fāngbiàn.) He is getting old and it is not convenient to go up and downstairs.

搬家太累了，我一天需要上下楼十几趟。(Bānjiā tài lèile, wǒ yītiān xūyào shàngxià lóu shí jǐ tàng.) Moving is so tiring, I need to go up and down a dozen times a day.

有了电梯，大家上下楼更容易了。(Yǒule diàntī, dàjiā shàngxià lóu gèng róngyìle.) With the elevator, it is easier for everyone to go up and down.

山路修好了，车子可以上下山了。(Shānlù xiūhǎole, chēzi kěyǐ shàng xià shān le.) After the mountain road is repaired, the car can go up and down the mountain.