およそ

お

よ

そ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

adverb

about; roughly; approximately

usually written using kana alone

Used before numbers or quantities to give an approximate figure. Similar to おおよそ, but およそ is slightly more common in everyday speech.

See also: おおよそ

駅えきまでおよそ10分ぷんかかります。
It takes about 10 minutes to the station.

adverb

generally; on the whole; as a rule

usually written using kana alone

Used to make a broad statement about a situation or tendency, often with ～の場合 or ～の傾向がある.

およそ人にん間げんは変へん化かを嫌きらうものだ。
Generally speaking, humans dislike change.

adverb

completely; entirely; not at all (with neg. verb)

usually written using kana alone

Used for emphasis, especially in negative sentences to mean 'not at all' or 'absolutely not'. Also appears in positive statements to mean 'totally' or 'altogether', though this usage is less common.

彼かれの話はなしはおよそ信しんじられない。
His story is completely unbelievable.
そんなことはおよそ考かんがえられない。
Such a thing is utterly unthinkable.

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

outline; gist

usually written using kana alone

Noun or no-adjective use meaning the general outline or rough idea of something. Often used in phrases like およその見当 or およその話.

計けい画かくのおよそを説せつ明めいしてください。
Please explain the outline of the plan.

Written forms

およそUsage96%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
凡およそUsage4%
Kanji form is listed but is rarely used; the word is usually written in kana.

Kanji

凡commonplace, ordinary, mediocre

Similar words

おおよそ
Almost identical in meaning to およそ, but おおよそ is slightly more formal and often used in written or official contexts. およそ is more common in casual speech.
約やく
Also means 'about' or 'approximately', but 約 is a prefix attached directly to numbers (e.g., 約10分), while およそ can stand alone or modify a whole clause.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the classical Japanese adverb おほよそ (ōyoso), which had a similar meaning of 'roughly' or 'generally'.