Structure
Noun + ごろ, Noun + の + ころ
Details
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Standard
使用域
一般
About ごろ
ころ, or ごろ (the colloquial pronunciation) is a word which carries the meaning of 'around', or 'about'. It is utilized in a similar way to くらい, but has a few differences. When ごろ is used, it will need to be attached to the end of a noun, or a noun followed by の.
Just like with English, if the 'time' expressed is very specific, then either くらい or ころ could be used naturally. This is due to the 'span', and the 'extent' already being something that is a 'precise point' in these cases.
- 11時頃に帰ってくる。I will be home around 11.
- 私は大学生の頃に富士山を登りました。I climbed Mount Fuji around when I was a college student.
- 子供のくらいはよく親と動物園へ行きました。When I was approximately a child, I often went to the zoo with my parents. (Unnatural Japanese, as being a child is a broad time frame)
- 子供のころはよく親と動物園へ行きました。Around when I was a child, I often went to the zoo with my parents. (Natural Japanese)
- 2メートルくらいの所に印をつけてください。Please make a mark around the 2 meter point. (Natural Japanese, as an approximation is being discussed)
- 2メートルごろの所に印をつけてください。Please make a mark within the span of 2 meters. (Unnatural Japanese, as the listener would think that marking a line anywhere within the two meter space is fine)
Just like with English, if the 'time' expressed is very specific, then either くらい or ころ could be used naturally. This is due to the 'span', and the 'extent' already being something that is a 'precise point' in these cases.
- 今日は12時くらいに帰る。I will be home around 12.
- 今日は12時頃に帰る。I will be home around 12.
Caution
The kanji form of 頃 is also very common, so it is worth learning as soon as possible, to save any confusion while reading.Synonyms
Examples
8時ごろに帰りました。
I went home around eight o'clock.
東京に行った友達は今ごろ着いているでしょう。
My friend who went to Tokyo is probably arriving around now...
月曜日の夜ごろに、雨が降ります。
It will rain around Monday night.
何時ごろ帰って来る?
Around what time will you come home?
11時ごろに帰って来るから、ご飯はいらないです。
I will get home about 11, so I don't need dinner.
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[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
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ごろ – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (8 in total)
nekoyama
A ころ is a somewhat blurry point in time (when does something happen?), while a くらい is something like a degree or extent and not specifically related to time, but can be used to make points in time or durations blurry, just like it can be used with quantities of other things (500円くらい etc.).
By “broad periods of time” they don’t mean long durations, but broadly defined periods in time like 子どもの頃 (~”when I was a child”). Only ころ can do this because it has the built-in time meaning and くらい does not. Another thing only ころ can do is express “the best time to do xyz” like in さくらの見頃.
くらい has a few different uses that bunpro has grammar points for, maybe looking at those helps too to avoid associating it with time too much.
amph1ptere
Does anyone know when you do/don’t use に after ころ/ごろ? The About section doesn’t mention it at all and I can’t see any pattern to it from the example sentences.
For example, why is 東京に行った友達は今ごろに着いているでしょう wrong?
DerKastellan
In a similar fashion, why no の after 時 for ころ? Is it because it’s considered a suffix? The examples insist on 1時ころ…
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