ごろ vs くらい: How to Say 'About' a Time in Japanese
What it means
ごろ means "around" or "about" a specific point in time — a clock time, a day, a year, an era of your life. You stick it directly onto the time word, with no particle in between: 3時ごろ, 来週ごろ, 子供のころ. It tells the listener you're not being exact, just close.
The catch for English speakers is that "about" also covers quantities — about 3 hours, about 1,000 yen. For those, Japanese uses a different word: くらい (also said ぐらい). Keeping the two apart is the whole game here.
ヤッタンは7時ごろ起きます。
ヤッタンは しちじごろ おきます。
Yattan gets up around 7 o'clock.
モチは来週ごろ日本に行きます。
モチは らいしゅうごろ にほんに いきます。
Mochi is going to Japan around next week.
子供のころ、よくこの公園で遊びました。
こどものころ、よく この こうえんで あそびました。
When I was a child, I often played in this park.
子供のころ = 'around childhood' — a stretch of life, still a point/period in time.
How to form it
Attach ごろ straight to a point-in-time word. No particle (に or の) sits between the time and ごろ.
| Time word | + ごろ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 3時 (3 o'clock) | 3時ごろ | around 3 o'clock |
| 来週 (next week) | 来週ごろ | around next week |
| 1995年 (1995) | 1995年ごろ | around 1995 |
| 子供 (child) + の | 子供のころ | around childhood / when I was a child |
A few notes: ごろ is often written in kana but comes from the kanji 頃. After a plain noun like 子供 you usually add の first (子供のころ), and at the start of a word the kana softens to ころ. With a clock time you can add に for "at": 3時ごろに会いましょう ("let's meet around 3").
ごろ vs くらい — the key contrast
Here is the rule in one line: ごろ marks a point in time; くらい/ぐらい marks an amount, a quantity, or a length of time.
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ごろ | approximate POINT in time (when?) | 3時ごろ = around 3 o'clock |
| くらい / ぐらい | approximate AMOUNT or DURATION (how much / how long?) | 3時間くらい = about 3 hours |
The cleanest way to feel the difference is a minimal pair:
ヤッタンは3時ごろ帰ります。
ヤッタンは さんじごろ かえります。
Yattan goes home around 3 o'clock.
3時 is a point on the clock → ごろ.
ヤッタンは3時間くらい勉強しました。
ヤッタンは さんじかん くらい べんきょうしました。
Yattan studied for about 3 hours.
3時間 is a length of time → くらい.
Notice the words look almost identical — 3時 (3 o'clock, a point) vs 3時間 (3 hours, a span). The clue is what the number measures: a moment takes ごろ, a measured amount takes くらい.
When to reach for くらい (not ごろ)
Use くらい/ぐらい for anything you can count or measure — money, distance, people, time spans:
この本は千円ぐらいです。
この ほんは せんえん ぐらいです。
This book is about 1,000 yen.
A price (amount) → ぐらい, never ごろ.
先生の家まで1時間くらいかかります。
せんせいの いえまで いちじかん くらい かかります。
It takes about an hour to get to the teacher's house.
A duration → くらい.
弟は10人くらい友達がいます。
おとうとは じゅうにん くらい ともだちが います。
My little brother has about 10 friends.
A count of people → くらい.
くらい and ぐらい mean the same thing; ぐらい is just a little more casual in speech. Both are fine in everyday Japanese.
Common mistakes
- Using ごろ for an amount or duration. "About 3 hours" is 3時間くらい, not 3時間ごろ. ごろ is only for points in time.
- Using くらい for a clock time. "Around 3 o'clock" is 3時ごろ, not 3時くらい. (You may hear 3時くらい casually, but ごろ is the standard, exam-safe choice for a point in time.)
- Adding a particle before ごろ. Say 3時ごろ, not 3時に ごろ or 3時の ごろ. ごろ attaches directly to the time word.
- Mixing up 〜時 and 〜時間. 3時 (3 o'clock, a point → ごろ) is not 3時間 (3 hours, a span → くらい). The 間 changes everything.
Quick recap
- ごろ = around a point in time: 3時ごろ, 来週ごろ, 子供のころ.
- くらい / ぐらい = about an amount or duration: 3時間くらい, 千円ぐらい, 10人くらい.
- Attach ごろ directly to the time word — no particle in between.
- Watch 〜時 (point → ごろ) vs 〜時間 (span → くらい).
Your turn
Choose ごろ or くらい/ぐらい for each sentence.
Start the 5-question drill →Take the full N5 ごろ vs くらい drill →
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between ごろ and くらい?
ごろ marks an approximate point in time — 3時ごろ ('around 3 o'clock'). くらい/ぐらい marks an approximate amount or duration — 3時間くらい ('about 3 hours'). Same English 'about,' different target.
Is there a particle before ごろ?
No. ごろ attaches straight to the time word: 3時ごろ, 来週ごろ. After a plain noun you add の first (子供のころ), and you can add に after ごろ for 'at' (3時ごろに).
Are くらい and ぐらい different?
They mean the same thing. ぐらい is slightly more casual in speech, but both are correct for amounts and durations: 千円くらい / 千円ぐらい.
How do I say 'around 3 o'clock' vs 'about 3 hours'?
Around 3 o'clock (a point) is 3時ごろ. About 3 hours (a span) is 3時間くらい. The 間 in 時間 turns a clock time into a duration, which switches you to くらい.