ぐらい・ごろ

Both mean "about," but they're used differently: ぐらい (or くらい) goes with QUANTITIES — durations, numbers of people, amounts of money: 十分ぐらい (about 10 minutes), 二十人ぐらい (about 20 people). ごろ goes with POINTS IN TIME: 七時ごろ (around 7 o'clock).

A tip for telling them apart: if it answers "how much, how long" → ぐらい; if it answers "at what time, when" → ごろ. Compare: 一時間ぐらい寝ます (sleep about 1 hour) with 一時ごろ寝ます (go to bed around 1 o'clock).

ぐらい and くらい are interchangeable, with no difference in meaning.

Examples

• 駅(えき)まで十分(じゅっぷん)ぐらいかかります。

  It takes about 10 minutes to get to the station.

• 毎晩(まいばん)七時(しちじ)ごろ家(いえ)に帰(かえ)ります。

  I go home around 7 every evening.

• パーティーに二十人(にじゅうにん)ぐらい来(き)ました。

  About 20 people came to the party.

Related patterns

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