Grammar › Comparison & Degree
くらい/ぐらい — “about; to the point that”
Softens a number into a rough estimate, or measures how far a state goes by giving a vivid example
くらい/ぐらい after a number gives a rough approximation (三日ぐらい — about three days), and after a plain-form clause it illustrates just how intense a state is by pointing to a vivid comparison — “to the point that…”, e.g. 泣きたいくらい嬉しい (happy enough to cry).
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Number + くらい/ぐらい | 一時間くらいかかります — It takes about an hour |
| Plain form + くらい | 死ぬかと思うくらい痛かった — It hurt so much I thought I might die |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 駅まで十分くらいです。 | えきまでじゅっぷんくらいです。 ekimadejuppunkuraidesu。 | It's about ten minutes to the station. |
| 声も出ないくらい驚いた。 | こえもでないくらいおどろいた。 koemodenaikuraiodoroita。 | I was so surprised I couldn't even make a sound. |
| このくらいの量で十分です。 | このくらいのりょうでじゅうぶんです。 konokurainoryoudejuubundesu。 | This much is plenty. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
くらい and ぐらい are interchangeable in meaning — the choice is mostly about sound rather than a grammatical rule, so don't hunt for a hidden distinction.