ごろ
- 1Around or about a specific point in time, such as a clock time or date.Ex. 1
- 2Around or about a period or season, indicating a rough time frame.Ex. 2
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Neutral in register and common in both speech and writing whenever a time is approximate, such as in schedules, daily routines or plans. It attaches only to points or periods in time. By contrast, くらい/ぐらい expresses approximate amounts and durations, and in casual speech it can also appear with clock times.
Do not use ごろ with durations or quantities; say 2時間ぐらい, not 2時間ごろ.
Note that に after ごろ is optional, whereas an exact time such as 7時 normally takes に.
Learners sometimes place ごろ before the time word, but it always follows the time expression.
- くらい / ぐらいN5「くらい／ぐらい」attaches to quantities, durations, and the like to express approximation, and can also express degree (「同じくらい」) and a slight extent. 「ごろ」attaches only to points in time; for approximate durations, headcounts, or amounts of money, use 「くらい」, as in 「3時間ぐらい」.
- に / へN5「に / へ」attach to place nouns and pair with motion verbs to indicate a destination or direction, while 「ごろ」attaches to points in time to indicate an approximate time. The 「に」in 「ごろに」marks time and cannot be replaced with 「へ」.
- からN5For time, 「から」means 'from that time on' (often paired with 「まで」), while 「ごろ」means 'around that time'; they cannot be swapped, but they can combine as in 「9時ごろから」. 「から」can also mark a starting point in space or a cause — uses 「ごろ」does not have.
- までN5「ごろ」indicates an approximate point in time, while 「まで」marks an endpoint ('until/up to') in both time and space; 「まで」can also mean 'even' and can attach to a verb's dictionary form. The two cannot be swapped, but they can combine, as in 「5時ごろまで」.
- おきにN4「おきに」attaches to counters such as 「一日」and 「20ページ」to indicate that something recurs at fixed intervals of time, distance, or quantity, while 「ごろ」attaches only to points in time to indicate an approximate time. Their meanings differ, so they cannot be swapped.
ごろ marks an approximate point in time, while くらい/ぐらい mainly expresses approximate amounts or durations; に after a time marks an exact point (7時に), whereas へ marks direction toward a place and is not used for time points. から and まで mark starting and ending points, and おきに expresses regular intervals rather than approximation.
