およそ: 'Approximately / Generally' (Meaning + Examples)
Rounding a number
The most common use of およそ is right before a quantity, rounding it off the way English "about" or "approximately" does. It's more formal than だいたい and common in written or explanatory Japanese (news, textbooks, guides).
やったんはおよそ十キロ歩いて公園に着いた。
やったんは およそ じゅっキロ あるいて こうえんに ついた。
Yattan walked about ten kilometers to reach the park.
およそ十キロ = roughly ten kilometers — no claim of exactness.
この泉はおよそ170フィートの高さまで温水を吹き出す。
このいずみは およそ ひゃくななじゅっフィートの たかさまで おんすいを ふきだす。
This spring shoots hot water up to a height of approximately 170 feet.
その歯科医はおよそ20億円を慈善事業に寄付した。
そのしかいは およそ にじゅうおくえんを じぜんじぎょうに きふした。
That dentist donated approximately 2 billion yen to charity.
Attaching before a number or a general statement
| Position | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before a number | roughly/about | およそ4ガロン (about 4 gallons) |
| Before a general claim | generally / on the whole | およそ人間というものは… (generally speaking, people are…) |
| おおよそ (variant) | same, slightly more emphatic | おおよその見当はつく (I have a rough idea) |
この缶にはおよそ4ガロン入る。
このかんには およそ よんガロン はいる。
This can holds approximately 4 gallons.
およそ + negative: "not remotely"
When およそ modifies a negative predicate, it flips from "approximately" to an emphatic "not in the least / far from it" — およそ考えられない ("utterly unthinkable"), およそ関係がない ("completely unrelated"). This is a common N1 trap: the presence of およそ doesn't automatically mean a number is coming.
モチの成績はおよそ褒められたものではない。
モチの せいせきは およそ ほめられた ものではない。
Mochi's grades are far from anything to be praised for.
およそ〜ない = 'not remotely,' a much stronger negative than plain 〜ない.
The short version
- およそ = "approximately/roughly" before a number; "generally" before a broad statement; "not remotely" before a negative.
- Attaches to: numbers, general statements, or negative predicates.
- Nuance/register: formal/written, more bookish than だいたい.
- Don't confuse with: だいたい (casual, everyday "about"), which doesn't carry the emphatic negative use.
Practice it
Choose およそ when the sentence rounds a number, generalizes, or emphatically negates.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
泉は＿＿＿１７０フィートの高さまで温水を吹き出す。
Where およそ fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- ごろ vs くらい · N5 — ごろ marks an approximate POINT in time (3時ごろ = around 3 o'clock), while くらい/ぐらい marks an approximate amount or duration (3時間くらい = about 3 hours).
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜たりとも〜ない — 〜たりとも〜ない attaches to '一 + counter' to mean 'not even a single...' — 一瞬たりとも無駄にできない. Formal and emphatic, it denies even the smallest possible unit.
- 〜てならない — 〜てならない attaches to feeling verbs or adjectives to mean an emotion is uncontrollable — 気になってならない ('I just can't stop worrying'). Formal and literary, don't confuse it with the unrelated 〜てはならない ('must not').
- 〜ともなると — 〜ともなると means 'once (someone/something) reaches that level or status, of course...' — it draws an expected, natural conclusion from a notable status, role, or occasion. Common with jobs, ranks, and life stages.
- 〜はおろか — 〜はおろか means 'let alone X' — it names a basic, easy case (X) and pairs it with a negative predicate to say that if even X isn't possible, a harder case (Y) certainly isn't either, similar to English 'not even X, let alone Y.'
- 〜を踏まえて — 〜を踏まえて means 'based on X' or 'taking X into account' — it introduces prior facts, results, or experience as the grounded foundation for a decision or action that follows, common in reports and formal discussion.
- 〜を経て — 〜を経て means 'through X' or 'after passing through X' — it marks a process, place, or period of time that was passed through before reaching a final result, often used for long journeys, careers, or lengthy processes.