おおよそ

お

よ

そ

JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

adverb

about; roughly; approximately

usually written using kana alone

Used to give an approximate number, amount, or degree. Common in both spoken and written Japanese.

Usage patterns

おおよそ〈数かず〉approximately (a number/amount)
会かい場じょうにはおおよそ二に百ひゃく人にんの観かん客きゃくが集あつまった。
Roughly two hundred spectators gathered at the venue.
おおよその〈事こと〉the general outline/gist of something
説せつ明めいを聞きいておおよその内ない容ようは理り解かいできた。
After hearing the explanation, I understood the general gist of it.
おおよそ〈動どう詞し〉ないnot ... at all (emphatic negative)
それはおおよそ考かんがえられないミスだった。
That was a mistake that was completely unthinkable.

Kanji

大large, big
凡commonplace, ordinary, mediocre

Related words

大だい体たいN5sense 1
大体 is the more casual, everyday word for 'about/mostly', while おおよそ sounds slightly more formal and is common in written Japanese.
およそN3sense 1
凡そ is essentially the same meaning as おおよそ but slightly shorter and more literary; おおよそ is a bit more common in speech.
大おお方かたN1sense 2
大方 emphasizes that something applies to 'most' of a group or is 'mostly' true, overlapping with おおよそ's sense of a general tendency.
約やくN3sense 1
約 is a prefix attached directly to a number (約100人) to mean 'approximately', whereas おおよそ is a full adverb that can stand more freely in a sentence.
ざっとN3
おおよそ is a slightly formal, precise-sounding way to say 'approximately', while ざっと feels more casual and mimetic, often implying a quick glance or calculation.

Written forms

おおよそUsage97%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
大凡おおよそUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should prefer the kana spelling.
凡おおよそUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
凡おおよそ

Etymology

The word is a native Japanese adverb. The kanji forms 大凡 and 凡そ are ateji (characters used for their sounds rather than meanings), but the kana spelling is standard.

rarely-used kanji form

Rarely used kanji form.