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Gogaku

All N3 grammar

N3

〜は〜くらいです

At most, only about… (nothing more)machine translation

FormationA (usually 〜のは) + noun/(verb dictionary form + こと) + くらいです

The pattern Aは Bくらいです narrows the scope down to a minimum: the only thing worth mentioning is about B and nothing more. 私にできるのは、話を聞くことくらいです (about all I can do is listen). Clause A usually takes the form 〜のは (the thing that…), and B is a noun or a verb + こと.

The pattern's nuance is modesty or a mild complaint: the speaker downplays their own ability, or admits there isn't much to tell — 休みの日にするのは、洗濯くらいです (on my days off, about all I do is the laundry).

This is exactly the "downplaying" sense of くらい framed as a full sentence. It pairs naturally with the adverb せいぜい (at most): せいぜい手伝うことくらいです. It points in the complete opposite direction from ほど — ほど exaggerates upward, while 〜は〜くらいです shrinks everything down to "just that much."

Examples

Related patterns

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