Learn Japanese grammar: くらい / ぐらい (kurai / gurai). Meaning: approximately; about; around; to the extent ~;
Both of these are interchangeable and there are two main ways that they can be used:
Meaning 1) Describing an approximate amount
Approximate a certain size or amount of something. For example, how much money, how many people, how big, etc… Let’s look at a basic example:
今は100人くらいが部屋にいる。
ima wa hyaku nin kurai ga heya ni iru.
There are approximately 100 people in the room now.
Meaning 2) Assess or compare the quality/level of something
This grammar point can be used to compare two objects as being equal, for example saying that item [A] is of the same level as item [B].
Alternatively, it can also be used to say that something of a high or low / level.
Let’s look at some examples:
Equal level
彼女が私と同じくらい背が高いんだ。
kanojo ga watashi to onaji kurai se ga takai n da.
My girlfriend is about the same height as me.
High level (praising) – NOTE for very high level items, you should use 程 (hodo) instead.
カレーが大好き。毎日食べたいくらいだ。
karee ga daisuki. Mai nichi tabetai kurai da.
I love curry so much (high level) that I could eat it every day.
Low Level (disregard)
こんな簡単なことくらい、誰でもできる。
konna kantanna koto kurai, dare demo dekiru.
This task is so simple (low level), anybody could do it.
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くらい / ぐらい - Example Sentences 例文
Each example sentence includes a Japanese hint, the romaji reading, and the English translation.
Click the below red button to toggle off and and on all of the hints, and you can click on the buttons individually to show only the ones you want to see.
Example #1
どれくらい日本に住んでいますか？
Example #2
どのぐらい練習したんですか？
Example #3
試験が難しくて、泣きたいくらいだ。
Example #4
お客様はどのぐらいいますか？
Example #5
家から駅まで自転車で20分ぐらいかかります。
Example #6
日本語どれぐらい話せますか？
Example #7
どのくらい海外にいましたか？
Example #8
今日くらいは家族と過ごそう。
Vocabulary List 語彙
| Kanji 漢字 | Kana カナ | English 英語 |
|---|---|---|
| 部屋 | へや | room |
| 彼女 | かのじょ | girlfriend |
| 背 | せ | height |
| 毎日 | まいにち | every day |
| 簡単な | かんたんな | easy |
| 誰でも | だれでも | anyone |
| お客様 | おきゃくさま | Customer(s) |
| 試験 | しけん | Exam |
| 難しい | むずかしい | difficult |
| 泣きたい | なきたい | want to cry |
| 練習 | れんしゅう | practice |
| 家 | いえ | home |
| 駅 | えき | station |
| 自転車 | じてんしゃ | bicycle |
| 海外 | かいがい | abroad |
| 住む | すむ | to live |
| 家族 | かぞく | family |
| 過ごす | すごす | to spend |
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