À peu près
Example: Il y a à peu près dix personnes dans la salle.
Definition
"À peu près" is an adverbial phrase used to indicate an approximation or an estimation of a quantity, amount, or time. It means 'about' or 'approximately,' as in the example: 'Il y a à peu près dix personnes dans la salle,' meaning there are about ten people in the room.
Etymology
The phrase "À peu près" originates from French, combining 'à' meaning 'at' or 'to,' 'peu' meaning 'little,' and 'près' meaning 'near.' Together, they convey the idea of 'close to a small amount,' which evolved to mean 'approximately.' Did you know that this phrase is commonly used in everyday French to express rough estimates?
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"À peu près" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 107 commonly used expressions.
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