数以…计
numbering in the hundreds, thousands, millions… (written)
Structure
数以 百／千／万／百万／亿 计 （的 + 名词）
What it means
'Numbering in the hundreds, thousands, millions …': a written way to give a huge, rough number. 数 (shù) is 'number' and 以…计 means 'counted in'.
How it is built
数以 + unit + 计: 数以百计, 数以千计, 数以万计, 数以千万计, 数以亿计. Before a noun add 的: 数以万计的游客 (tens of thousands of tourists); or use it as the predicate: 游客数以万计.
When to use it
News and written style, for crowds, birds, losses and the like. In speech say 成千上万 or 好几万.
Watch out
Only a unit (百, 千, 万, 亿) goes in the gap, never an exact figure: ✗数以三万计。 ✓数以万计。 Read 数 as shù here, not shǔ.
Examples
每到黄金周，数以万计的游客涌进九寨沟。
Every Golden Week, tens of thousands of tourists pour into Jiuzhaigou.
这个湖每年冬天迎来的候鸟数以万计。
Tens of thousands of migrating birds winter on this lake every year.
Learn this in Lesson 9 · HSK 5: 山河与名胜 (Mountains, rivers and landmarks)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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