およそ

お

よ

そ

Meanings

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.

およそ〈数すう〉approximately (a given number or quantity)
会かい場じょうまでおよそ30分ぷんかかる。
It takes about thirty minutes to get to the venue.
およそ〈事こと〉の場ば合あいgenerally speaking, in the case of ~
およそ子こ供どもの場ば合あい、新あたらしい環かん境きょうにすぐ慣なれるものだ。
Generally speaking, children tend to adjust to a new environment quickly.
およそ〈動どう詞し〉ないnot at all; utterly not (emphatic negation)
そんな言いい訳わけはおよそ信しんじられない。
That kind of excuse is simply unbelievable.
およその見けん当とうa rough idea or estimate
予よ算さんのおよその見けん当とうをつけてから計けい画かくを立たてよう。
Let's get a rough idea of the budget before making the plan.

おおよそN2
およそ and おおよそ both mean 'approximately', but おおよそ feels a touch more formal or written while およそ is the everyday choice.
約やくN3sense 1
約 is a prefix that attaches directly before a number (約10分), whereas およそ can stand alone or modify a whole clause.
大だい体たいN5sense 1
だいたい is a casual way to say 'roughly/mostly' and can also mean 'for the most part', while およそ is a bit more neutral and often precedes a specific figure.
ほぼN3sense 1
ほぼ stresses that something is very close to an exact amount or state, while およそ signals a looser, rougher estimate.

Show 3 more

概がいして sense 2
概して is used to make a general statement about tendencies, much like およそ in its 'generally' sense, but 概して sounds slightly more formal.
全まったくN3sense 3
まったく is a stronger, more common way to emphasize total negation, matching およそ...ない in the 'not at all' sense.
あれこれN2
およそ is a general-purpose approximation word usable with any quantity, while かれこれ is colloquial and used mainly for time or age that has passed.

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.

Continues classical おほよそ, meaning “generally,” “roughly,” or “approximately”; regular historical contraction produced およそ.