～ごろ (approximately)

• Reading: ごろ
• Romaji: goro
• Formation: Time noun + ごろ

Meaning

Indicates an approximate point in time. It is used with specific time expressions to mean 'around' or 'about' that time.

ごろ attaches only to specific time nouns — clock times, months, years, or historical periods — not to durations or quantities. 三時ごろ means 'around 3 o'clock,' 十月ごろ means 'around October.' It is distinct from ぐらい/くらい, which can express approximate amounts, durations, and quantities more broadly. You cannot say 三時間ごろ (around 3 hours) — that requires ぐらい. ごろ is also used for broader time frames: 江戸時代のころ (around the Edo period). The spelling ころ is an alternative that appears more often with の.

Examples

1. 毎朝七時ごろ起きます。 I wake up around 7 o'clock every morning.
2. 昼の十二時ごろに会いましょう。 Let's meet around noon.
3. 桜は三月の終わりごろに咲き始める。 Cherry blossoms start blooming around the end of March.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 夕方の六時ごろ帰ります。
• 去年の夏ごろから日本語を勉強しています。
• 子供のころ、この辺りに住んでいた。

Don't Say

• 三時間ごろ待った。(ごろ is for time points, not durations — use ぐらい for 'about 3 hours') → 三時間ぐらい待った。
• 五個ごろ買った。(ごろ cannot be used with quantities — use ぐらい) → 五個ぐらい買った。

Origin & History

ごろ comes from ころ (頃), meaning 'time' or 'period,' which has been used to express approximate time points since the Heian period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal