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Hearing 「すみません」 many times a day shows how often this phrase is used.

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Lesson notes · ≈ JLPT N3 · Intermediate 3

〜くらい・〜ぐらい~kurai / ~gurai

degree shown by a situation

Use 「〜くらい／〜ぐらい」 after a concrete situation to show the degree of an action or state.

How it works

  1. Hearing 「すみません」 many times a day shows how often this phrase is used.

    Hearing 「すみません」 many times a day shows how often this phrase is used.

  2. The concrete situation before 「くらい」 shows the degree of the action or state that follows.

    The concrete situation before 「くらい」 shows the degree of the action or state that follows.

  3. 「聞く」 in the example is in the plain form. Changing it to 「聞くぐらい」 keeps the same meaning of degree.

    「聞く」 in the example is in the plain form. Changing it to 「聞くぐらい」 keeps the same meaning of degree.

  4. 「少し硬く感じる」 (“it feels a little stiff”) gauges how polite it is. Your own impression can also serve as a measure.

    「少し硬く感じる」 (“it feels a little stiff”) gauges how polite it is. Your own impression can also serve as a measure.

Example sentences

  • 「すみません」
すみません
sumimasen
は、わ、wa、
一いちichi
日にちnichi
にni
何なんnan
度どdo
もmo
聞くきくkiku
くらいkurai
よくyoku
使われます。つかわれます。tsukawaremasu。

'Sumimasen' is used so often that you hear it many times a day.

  • 「結構です」けっこうですkekkoudesuは、わ、wa、少しすこしsukoshi硬くかたくkataku感じるかんじるkanjiruくらいkurai丁寧な断り方ていねいなことわりかたteineinakotowarikataです。desu。

    'Kekkou desu' is a polite way of declining, to the extent that it sounds a bit stiff.

    • In a conversation

    • A
      最近、さいきん、職場しょくばでよく「よくお疲れ様おつかれさまです」ですって言いますいいますよね。

      A: People often say 'otsukaresama desu' at work lately, don't they?

    • B
      そうですね、一いち日にちに何十なんじゅう回かいも言ういうくらいよく使いますつかいますよ。

      B: That's true, it's used so much that we say it dozens of times a day.

    • A
      そんなに使うそんなにつかうんですね。決まりきまり文句もんくって大切だたいせつだと改めてあらためて感じました。かんじました。

      A: They use it that much? It made me realize once again how important set phrases are.

    Check yourself

    1. Level 1 · Recognise

      Which sentence is correct?

    2. Level 1 · Recognise

      Listen and choose the meaning

    3. Level 2 · Build

      Put the words in order

      "Sumimasen" is used so often that you can hear it many times in a single day.

    4. Level 3 · Use

      What goes in the blank?

      「すみません」は、一日に何度も聞く____よく使われます。

      "Sumimasen" is used so often that you can hear it many times a day.

    More grammar in this theme

    • 〜がたいsubjectively hard to do
    • 〜のようにlike; in the manner of
    • 〜とともにalong with; as … changes
    • 〜をもとに（して）・〜をもとにしたbased on; using as a basis
    • 〜でしょう？seeking agreement
    • 〜っけrecalling and checking
    • 〜というわけだthat explains why
    • 〜っこないabsolutely impossible
    • 〜もん・〜んだもんemotional reason or plea
    • 〜ほど・〜くらい・〜ぐらいdegree shown by an example
    • 〜ところだったsomething almost happened
    • 〜てたまらないoverwhelmingly intense feeling
    • 〜というわけではないthat does not mean
    • 〜くらい・〜ぐらいdegree shown by a situation
    Previous〜というわけではない

    Keep practising

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