おおよそ

• Reading: おおよそ
• Romaji: ooyoso
• Kanji breakdown: 大 (ō) — large, great; 凡 (bon/yoso) — ordinary, general
• Pronunciation: /oː.jo.so/

Meaning

About; roughly; approximately. Used to give an estimate or general idea of quantity, time, or degree.

An adverb used to express approximation. Often interchangeable with だいたい and およそ, but slightly more formal. Common patterns include おおよその見当 (a rough idea) and おおよそ三時間 (approximately three hours). Can also be used in the negative sense おおよそ...ない to mean 'not at all' — a more literary usage.

Examples

1. おおよその人数を教えてもらえますか。 Could you give me a rough estimate of the number of people?
2. 駅からおおよそ十分で着きます。 It takes approximately ten minutes from the station.
3. おおよそ半分の作業が終わった。 Roughly half of the work is done.

Usage Guide

Context: estimation, daily life, business, reports

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From native Japanese 大 (ō, large) + 凡 (yoso, ordinary/general). The kanji form 大凡 is rarely used in modern writing; the hiragana form おおよそ is standard.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal