約

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 約, read やく, denotes a marker placed before a number to show that it is approximate.
• Basic usage: It marks a time or attendance figure as an estimate rather than an exact value.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An estimate, not an exact figure
  • Placed before a number, it signals that a small amount of variation from that figure is possible.