JLPT N5Everyday

くらい・ぐらいabout; roughly

くらい after an amount makes it "about that much". ぐらい is the same word, and you can say either.

駅えきまで歩あるいて十じゅっ分ぷんぐらいです。

It is about a ten-minute walk to the station.

りんごを五ご個こくらい買かいました。

I bought about five apples.

How to form it

Amount + くらい／ぐらい

It goes after the number and its counter. English puts "about" in front.

To ask

どのくらい／どのぐらい

How long, how far, how much. どれくらい asks the same thing.

Saying roughly how much

ここから海うみまで二にキロぐらいです。

It is about two kilometers from here to the sea.

このかばんは三さん千ぜん円えんくらいでした。

This bag was about three thousand yen.

教きょう室しつには学がく生せいが二に十じゅう人にんぐらいいます。

There are about twenty students in the classroom.

一いっ週しゅう間かんに三さん回かいぐらい走はしります。

I run about three times a week.

When the amount takes a particle, it comes after くらい.

会かい議ぎは一いち時じ間かんくらいで終おわりました。

The meeting ended in about an hour.

It also softens. People add it even when they know the number, because an exact figure can sound blunt: 十じゅっ分ぷんぐらい待まってください, "wait ten minutes or so".

Asking: どのくらい

A

東とう京きょうまでどのくらいかかりますか。

About how long does it take to get to Tokyo?

B

新しん幹かん線せんで二に時じ間かん半はんぐらいです。

It is about two and a half hours by bullet train.

どのくらい doesn't say whether you mean time, distance or money. The rest of the sentence and the situation do. To pin it down, ぐらい goes after a question word: 何なん分ぷんぐらい, いくらぐらい, 何なん人にんぐらい.

日本にほんにどのくらい住すんでいますか。

How long have you lived in Japan?

パーティーに何なん人にんぐらい来きますか。

About how many people are coming to the party?

三さん時じごろ, 三さん時じ間かんぐらい

ぐらい is for an amount. For a point in time, such as a clock time or a date, "about" is ごろ.

三さん時じ間かんぐらい寝ねました。

I slept for about three hours.

An amount of time.

三さん時じごろ寝ねました。

I went to bed at about three.

A point on the clock.

In conversation you will also hear 三さん時じぐらい. The reverse, 三さん時じ間かんごろ, is never said.

Three to learn whole

これくらいabout this much

これくらいでいいですか。

Is this much all right?

Said while showing the amount. このくらい is the same.

同おなじくらいabout the same

この箱はこはあの箱はこと同おなじくらい重おもい。

This box is about as heavy as that one.

半はん分ぶんぐらいabout half

半はん分ぶんぐらい分わかりました。

I understood about half.

You'll also hear ほど and 約やく

Shop staff and announcements say ほど in the same spot. Writing and the news put 約やく in front of the number.

十じゅっ分ぷんほどお待まちください。

Please wait about ten minutes.

駅えきから約やく五ご百ひゃくメートルです。

It is about 500 meters from the station.

Close neighbours

ころ・ごろN4

"About" for a point in time: a clock time, a date, a month.

電でん車しゃは六ろく時じごろ着つきます。

The train will arrive around six.

くらい・ほどN3

After a whole clause, くらい isn't "about". It shows how far something went: so tired that you couldn't stand.

立たっていられないくらい疲つかれました。

I was so tired that I could not remain standing.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

毎まい日にち、八はち時じ間かん（　　）寝ねます。

Choose an answer to see why.

2"About twenty people came."

Choose an answer to see why.

3"I'll be back in about ten minutes."

（　　）戻もどります。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

ぐらい turns up a little more in conversation.

Now and then it is written with its kanji: 一いち時じ間かん位くらい.

More sentences

ホテルまでタクシーで十じゅう五ご分ふんくらいです。

It is about fifteen minutes to the hotel by taxi.

あの子こは五ご歳さいぐらいです。

That child is about five years old.

父ちちは毎まい日にち七なな時じ間かんくらい寝ねます。

My father sleeps about seven hours every day.

あの木きは十じゅうメートルくらいあります。

That tree is about ten meters tall.

受うけ付つけで二に十じゅっ分ぷんぐらい待まちました。

I waited at reception for about twenty minutes.

参さん加か者しゃは四よん十じゅう人にんぐらいでした。

There were about forty participants.