No fewer than / not less than (不下于)

Structure Subject + 不下于 + figure / quantity

不下于 (bù xià yú) sets a LOWER BOUND on a figure: "no fewer than", "not less than". 在场的不下于五百人 = "those present were no fewer than five hundred". It is written register (press, reports) and always points to QUANTITY. Contrast it with its relative 不亚于 (bù yà yú), which compares QUALITY or standing, not number: 其水准不亚于专业选手 = "their level is not inferior to a professional's". Rule of thumb: if there's a figure, 不下于; if you compare merit or standing, 不亚于.

Examples

当dāng天tiān到dào场chǎng的de观guān众zhòng不bù下xià于yú五wǔ百bǎi人rén。
That day the audience present numbered no fewer than five hundred.
这zhè项xiàng工gōng程chéng的de投tóu资zī不bù下xià于yú十shí亿yì元yuán。
The investment in this project is no less than a billion yuan.
受shòu灾zāi群qún众zhòng不bù下xià于yú两liǎng万wàn户hù。
The affected households number no fewer than twenty thousand.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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