Japanese くらい grammar kurai
Let’s learn Japanese くらい grammar kurai :
JLPT level : N3
Formation :
N＋くらい
Numerals＋くらい
V＋くらい
Aい＋くらい
Aな＋くらい
N＋くらい
Meaning and how to use :
1. Describe approximate amount. Beside that, “くらい” also go along with question words (Ws) meaning to ask in a approximate level , or stands right after “これ、それ、あれ” to reference a specific size.
Only used with: Numeral＋くらい
For example
２０人くらい会議に参加します。
Ni zero nin kurai kaigi ni sanka shi masu.
About 20 people are in the meeting
６月くらいに彼は日本に行きます。
rokugatsu kurai ni kare ha nippon ni iki masu.
He will go to Japan in June
2. Describe the two object which have equal quality. we can add “おなじ” before “くらい” or not.
Only used with: N＋くらい
For example
彼女はプロな芸人くらい歌舞伎を演奏します。
kanojo ha puro na geinin kurai kabuki o ensou shi masu.
She acts Kabuki dramma like professional artists.
中村先生は母同じくらい背が高いです。
nakamura sensei ha haha onaji kurai se ga takai desu.
Teacher Nakamura talls as high as my mother
3. Describe level of an event. this is use to compare but not use with seriuos or high level cases. In those cases, we should use “ほど”.
For example
この店の料理がとてもおいしい。毎日食べたいくらいだ。
kono mise no ryouri ga totemo oishii. Mainichi tabe tai kurai da.
Foods in this restaurant is so great that I want to eat here every day
石につまずいて転んだのに、彼は階段から転んだくらい痛みを感じると言いました。
ishi ni tsumazui te koron da noni, kare ha kaidan kara koron da kurai itami o kanjiru to ii mashi ta.
Hitting a rock, but he said as though he had fallen down from staircase.
4. Disregard the level of the event. Means “It’s not so important”, “It’s easy, simple”.
For example
こんなに簡単なテストくらい小学生もできるよ。
konnani kantan na tesuto kurai shougakusei mo dekiru yo.
This test is so easy that even primary students can do.
田中さんくらい一番弱い選手でも倒せる。
tanaka san kurai ichiban yowai senshu demo taoseru.
Person like Tanaka can be defeated by even worst player
5. Describe minimum level, means “at least”
For example
日曜日くらい休ませてくださいよ。
nichiyoubi kurai yasumase te kudasai yo.
You must give me day off on at least Sunday
今日は忘年会なので、少しくらいお酒を飲んでもいいね。
kyou ha bounenkai na node, sukoshi kurai o sake o non de mo ii ne.
it’s Year-end party today, it is Ok for me to drink a litte (only) wine, isn’t it?
Note : In the first use, If we want to express place, time, we will use “くらいに” like in the third example
Related structures :
くらい kurai
くらい～はない kurai~hanai
くらいなら kurainara
くらいの～しか～ない kuraino~shika~nai
くらいだから kuraidakara
～のは～くらいものだ。~noha~kuraimonoda.
ほど～はない hodo~hanai
above is Japanese くらい grammar kurai. if you don’t understand the signs we used in fomation, you can find their meaning here : signs used in Japanese grammar structures.
You can search the structure you want by using the search tool on our website (using key : grammar + ‘structure name’ or you can find more Japanese grammar structures in the following category : Japanese grammar dictionary
