〜くらい／ぐらい

Meaning

〜くらい/ぐらい has two main uses: First, it expresses approximate quantity, degree, or duration (similar to ほど but more casual). Second, it emphasizes the extent or degree of an action or state, often indicating "to such a degree that" or "even to the point of." The pattern attaches to verb plain forms, い-adjectives, な-adjectives with な, and nouns.

Formation

Examples

1. この車はいくらぐらいしたの？
   How much did this car cost approximately?

2. 留学ビザを取得するには3ヶ月ぐらいかかりました。
   It took about three months to obtain a study visa.

3. 5年ぐらい日本に住んでいました。
   I lived in Japan for approximately five years.

4. このブランドのかばんは安くても5万円ぐらいはするでしょう。
   Even the cheapest bags from this brand will cost around 50,000 yen.

5. 自分のことぐらい自分でやりなさい。
   Do your own things yourself.

6. 食事をする時間もないぐらいの忙しさ
   So busy that there's no time to even eat meals.

7. タクシーで行くぐらいなら歩いた方がよい。
   Rather than taking a taxi, it's better to walk.

8. 彼が書いた字は読めないぐらい汚い。
   The handwriting he wrote is so messy it's unreadable.

9. あの歌手はとても人気で、はんとうにじょうずコンサートのチケットは販売し始めて1時間以内に完売したぐらいだった。
   That singer is so popular that concert tickets sold out within an hour of going on sale.

10. このプロジェクトが始まってから忙しくて、毎日終電まで仕事をするぐらいだ。
    Since this project started, I've been so busy that I work until the last train every day.

Summary

• Use くらい/ぐらい to express approximate amounts, time periods, or costs in casual speech
• Use it to emphasize degree or extent, meaning 'to such an extent that' or 'even to the point of'
• With minimum-limit expressions (安くても, 自分のこと), prefer ぐらい over ほど; they are otherwise interchangeable