adverb
about, approximately
A1
zirka is an adverb meaning 'about' or 'approximately', used to indicate rough quantities or times. Equivalent to etwa/ungefähr or the abbreviation 'ca.' It’s not reflexive, takes no special preposition, and simply modifies numbers or time expressions: e.g., 'zirka zehn Minuten' = about ten minutes.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Das Treffen dauert zirka eine Stunde.
The meeting lasts about an hour.
Der Mechaniker schätzte, dass die Reparatur zirka zwei Stunden dauerte, obwohl er nicht alle Teile kannte.
The mechanic estimated that the repair took about two hours, although he did not know all the parts.
Es waren circa hundert Leute da.
There were approximately a hundred people there.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
a fuzzy circle around a number to show approximation
zirka ~ 'circa' → both mean 'about'
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Variant spellings: 'zirka' and 'circa'. Used to indicate approximation.