"有" Sentences 2: Estimation and Degree
"有"字句2
Use 有 to express estimations of measurement and degree that something reaches
Use 有 before a number + measure word + adjective to indicate that something reaches or attains a certain measurement or degree. This is not about possession — it is about estimation.
This 有 does not mean "to have." It means "to reach / to be as much as." It is used when estimating height, age, weight, distance, and similar measurable qualities.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: "有" Sentences 2: Estimation and Degree ("有"字句2)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the "有"字句2 pattern
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Understanding "有"字句2
At HSK 1, you learned 有 as "to have" — 我有一本书. Now you will discover a second use of 有: expressing that something reaches or attains a certain measurement. When you say 他有一米八高, you are not saying he "has" 1.8 meters — you are saying he is as tall as 1.8 meters, or estimating his height at 1.8 meters. This 有 is about reaching a degree or level. It is commonly used for height (有一米七高), age (有三十多岁), weight, distance, and other measurable qualities. The negative form 没有 is used in comparisons to mean "not as... as": 我没有他高 (I am not as tall as him). This connects directly to comparative sentences, making 有 a versatile tool in your grammar toolkit.
Key Points
- 有 + number + measure + adjective = "to be as much as / to reach": 他有一米八高.
- This 有 expresses estimation — you are guessing or approximating a measurement.
- Common with: height (高), age (大/岁), weight (重), length (长), distance (远).
- 多 often appears for approximation: 有三十多岁 (about thirty-something years old).
- Negative 没有 = "not as... as": 我没有他高 (I am not as tall as him).
- Question form: 他有多高？(How tall is he?) — 有 + 多 + adjective.
- This pattern is about estimation, so it often carries an element of surprise or emphasis.
Discussing height, age, and weight is much more common and acceptable in Chinese culture than in many Western cultures. Asking 你有多高？or guessing 他有三十多岁了吧 is normal small talk, not considered rude.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
他有一米八高。
He is 1.8 meters tall.
Estimating height
他有三十多岁。
He is about thirty-something years old.
Approximate age
这条河有一百米宽。
This river is a hundred meters wide.
我没有他高。
I am not as tall as him.
Negative comparison
这棵树有十米高。
This tree is ten meters tall.
他有多大？
How old is he?
Question form
这个箱子有二十公斤重。
This box weighs twenty kilograms.
从这儿到学校没有很远。
It is not very far from here to the school.
Common Mistakes
For estimations of measurement, use 有 not 是. 是 identifies, but 有 here means "reaches the level of."
有 is negated with 没, not 不. "Not as tall as" = 没有他高.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Think of this 有 as "reaching" a measurement — it is about degree, not possession.
有多 + adjective is your question template: 有多高 (how tall), 有多远 (how far), 有多重 (how heavy).
没有 + person/thing + adjective is a gentle way to compare: "not as... as" sounds softer than 比 comparisons.
Use 多 after numbers for approximation: 三十多岁 (thirty-something), 一百多米 (over a hundred meters).
Homework
Describe five things using the estimation 有 pattern: your height, a building near you, a river or road, a friend's approximate age, and the distance from your home to school or work.