〜ころ

Pronunciation

ごろ directly after a time word or question word (三時(さんじ)ごろ, いつごろ, 今(いま)ごろ); ころ after の or この/その/あの, where it acts as a noun meaning "time, period" (子供(こども)のころ, あのころ).

Common patterns

• 何(なん)時(じ)ごろ (around what time)
• いつごろ (around when)
• 今(いま)ごろ (around now, by now)
• あのころ (around that time, those days)
• そのころ (around that time)
• 子供(こども)のころ (when [I was] a child)
• 昔(むかし)のころ (in the old days)

Watch out

ごろ marks an approximate point in time; ぐらい/くらい marks an approximate amount, including a length of time: 三時(さんじ)ごろ着(つ)く (arrive around three) but 三時間(さんじかん)ぐらいかかる (take about three hours). 三時(さんじ)ぐらい for a clock time is also heard in speech.