许
xǔ · HSK 7
or so
xu sounds like shoe; how many shoes? a few or so
Written 许 = speech radical 讠 plus 午 (the phonetic). Used in 几许 jǐxǔ meaning how much or how many, so 许 carries the loose sense of an estimate: that much or so, approximately.
许 — speech radical 讠 (言) + 午 (noon/phonetic)
许 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 讠 (speech) radical signals a meaning tied to spoken acts, while 午 supplies the sound. Its core senses — to permit, promise, or praise — all stem from things granted through words.