How to tell them apart
ごろ marks an approximate point in time, while くらい marks an approximate quantity, amount, or duration. Use ごろ with clock times, dates, or months like 六月ごろ; use くらい with prices, counts, or lengths of time like 百五十万円くらい or 四ヶ月くらい. Swapping them is unnatural because ごろ does not attach to quantities and くらい does not attach to a single point on the clock.
- ごろ Use ごろ when you mean around a specific point in time like a clock time or month.
- くらい Use くらい when you mean approximately for quantities, prices, or durations.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| ごろ goro | Approximately, at about a given time | N5 |
| くらい kurai | Roughly, around, an estimated amount or degree | N5 |
ごろ goro
Approximately, at about a given time
ごろ indicates an approximate time, meaning roughly or about a certain hour. It attaches directly after a time expression such as a number of o'clock, often followed by the particle に when describing when something happens.
-
７時３０分ごろに電話をください。
Please call me at about 7:30.
-
時は１０時ごろだった。
It was about the tenth hour.
くらい kurai
Roughly, around, an estimated amount or degree
くらい expresses an approximate amount or degree, often in questions like どれくらい or どのくらい asking how much or how long. It follows question words, nouns, or phrases indicating quantity, and can soften a statement to mean only about that much.
-
何時くらいまでなら電話してもいいですか。
How late can I ring?
-
どれくらいかかるのかしら。
I wonder how long it's going to take.
ごろ and くらい are both JLPT N5 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.