N5
くらい ①
About, Approximately
後３分くらいで着く。
I'll arrive in about 3 minutes.
Explanation
「くらい」 (also read 「ぐらい」) after an amount or a length of time means 'about': 「3時間くらい」 (about three hours). 「くらい」 and 「ぐらい」 mean the same; 「ぐらい」 is more common in speech. It is often used for how long something took, how much it cost, how far, or how many people.
Mixed up with
「くらい」 vs 「ごろ」 is a favourite N5 point:
「くらい」 goes with lengths of time and amounts: 3時間くらい (about three hours), 5日間くらい (about five days).
「ごろ」 goes only with a point in time: 3時ごろ (around three o'clock), 5月ごろ (around May).
Never 「3時間ごろ」 or 「5人ごろ」.
Easily confused withくらい ①・ごろ: the difference ›