How to Say ‘About’ in Japanese
ぐらいです
gurai desu
[goo-rah-ee dess]
💬 Usage Tip: [ぐらい] means "about/around," and [です] keeps it polite. Together, it gives a soft estimate.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese often uses approximate language in service talk to avoid sounding too blunt or too certain.
Phrase Breakdown
ぐらい
gurai
[goo-rah-ee]
about; approximately
Indicates an approximate amount.
二千円ぐらいです、と答えます。
You answer, “It’s about 2,000 yen.”
です
desu
[dess]
is
Polite ending used to complete the estimate.
二千円ぐらいです、と丁寧に言います。
You politely say, “It’s about 2,000 yen.”
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