くらい、ぐらい (kurai, gurai) - to the extent that; so ~ that ~
almost ~; at least; the only ~; rather than ~
--- Notes ---
This grammar does exist on another page, but I believe the old page did not
include enough of the other possible meanings in English, and I did not
want to heavily edit the old grammar page.
[kurai / くらい] with a negative predicate indicates a superlative. (Mr.
Yamada is the most forgetful.)
It also expresses the idea of 'at least.' ?くらい in this use implies
that the degree of a state is such that one cannot expect much more than X
from that state.
Ｓのは?くらいのものだ expresses the idea that the speaker cannot
think of anyone or anything else but ? that meets the description in Ｓ.
In other words, ? meets the description in Ｓ to the highest degree among
those the speaker can think of.
Ｖ1くらいならＶ2ほうがましだ expresses the idea the one would
rather Ｖ2 than Ｖ1.
A related is expression is . This can replace くらい *sometimes,* such
as in examples #6081, #6082, and #6083.
--- Examples ---
今晩は暖かいので、ストーブが要らないくらいだ。
It's so warm this evening that we (almost) don't need a heater.
私たちは一歩も歩けないくらい疲れていた。
We were so tired that we couldn't take a single step.
山田さんくらい物を忘れる人はいない。
There's no one as forgetful as Yamada (who forgets things as much as
Yamada).
私は料理は下手ですが、ご飯くらい(は)炊けます。
I'm a poor cook, but I can at least cook rice.
今この仕事が出来るのは彼くらいのものだ。
He's the only person who can do this job now. (The person who's capable
enough to do this job is he.)
そんなことをするくらいなら、死んだほうがましだ。
I would rather die than do such a thing.
合格の知らせを受け取ったときは、うれしくて、踊りあがったくらいだ。
When I received the notice that I had passed, I was so happy that I almost
leaped for joy.
--- Comments ---
does matter which one you use, or are くらい and ぐらい
interchangable? (contributor: pupurun)
pupurun, it doesn't matter. Both mean the exact same thing. It just depends
on your preference. (contributor: rubyhatchet)
how is it different to hodo? is it that literally, kurai='this little' and
hodo='this much'?? (contributor: karekora)
I think this grammar point is a little misleading,
くらい､ぐらい means approximately, about, almost. it is used to
state unspacific amounts of what comes before it. it does not carry a
meaning of minimal amount, rather than, so〜that,the least or the only.
I think that you need to look at other sections of each of the examples to
understand their true meaning.
#6085 does not translate to he is the only one. if you wanted to say he is
the only or no one else could do the job, you would say.
今彼しかこの仕事ができません。or
今この仕事ができるのは 彼だけです。
because you use ぐらい your saying that if it wasn`t someone that has
about as much (unidentified ablility) as he does they couldn`t do the job.
The next example #6086
the real operator in the sentence is the last part.
”ほうがました” and くらい is not nessasary to hold the
meaning I would rather die than do such a thing.
そんなことするなら already has the meaning. (contributor:
tigert)
--- View this entry online ---
http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=kurai, gurai
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