N4 トピック
L2: Time After Time
Time After Time
In this Topic, we will be introduced to ごろ ‘about’, used to talk about approximate times. In addition to that, we will see あとで, used for highlighting later actions, and a new use of the に particle to show frequency.
このトピックに出てくる文法
ごろ
Around, About
ころ, or ごろ (the colloquial pronunciation) is a word which carries the meaning of 'around', or 'about'. It is utilized in a similar way to くらい, but has a few differences. When ごろ is used, it will need to be attached to the end of a noun, or a noun followed by の.
The main difference between ころ and くらい is that ころ can be (and often is) used to express a broad point in time, while くらい is limited to expressing timeframes that are more specific.
Conversely, ころ will not be used when expressing approximate distances/lengths.
The primary reason for this is that ころ expresses a span of something, while くらい expresses an extent. In this way, ころ could also be translated as 'within the span of (A)', while くらい is closer to 'at the point of (A)'. As an easier way to think about it, if we have a one meter ruler, ころ could express anywhere between 1 to 100 centimeters (the span), but くらい can only express somewhere between 90 and 100 centimeters (the extent).
Just like with English, if the 'time' expressed is very specific, then either くらい or ころ could be used naturally. This is due to the 'span', and the 'extent' already being something that is a 'precise point' in these cases.
Caution
The kanji form of 頃 is also very common, so it is worth learning as soon as possible, to save any confusion while reading.
あとで
After, Later
In Japanese, あとで is a combination of the noun 後 (behind), and the particle で (with). When these words are linked, they form an adverbial phrase which is used to express 'after', or 'later'. As with で's standard meaning of 'with', あとで is simply highlighting that something will happen, 'with' the 'after/behind' part of something.
To use あとで, attach it to the end of any past-tense verb, noun followed by の, or verb followed by のは (nominalization).
Fun Fact
The reason that 後 is translated as both 'after', and 'behind', is because sequences of events in Japanese behave similarly to a train. When the head of the train (one action) passes a specific point, there are still potentially many carriages (other actions) coming 'after', or 'behind' it.
に (Frequency)
Times (In each time period), Every, Frequency of
When the case marking particle に is used, sometimes it has the nuance of 'frequency'. This means that it can be utilized to describe how often something happens/is done. In this grammatical construction, the 'time frame' is followed by に, then followed by the number of times that you would like to say that something happens.
In this way, に keeps its regular nuance of being a 'goal', or 'destination', within which something else takes place.
Caution
This use of に should not be confused with で in relation to time. When で is used for 'time', it is expressing the amount of time that is required to do something, or how much time something is expected to take. It is not used for frequency.
Due to this, you can think of に as marking a portion (or portions) of time inside of a larger space of time, within which something happens. However, で marks a whole space of time, within which something can be/is completed.
詳細
Let’s further discuss how particles are used with the phrases we’ve just learned.
Peculiar Particles
As discussed in a previous Topic, に and で function quite differently in relation to time. One pinpoints a time, while the other shows a boundary. However, what happens when we drop drop に from ごろに?
Even though ごろ is used for approximation, as に pinpoints a specific moment in time, dropping に reduces the feeling of specificity further. Using に is more common in contexts such as business, or when wanting to specify.
あと can also be used with に, not just で, so let’s check the difference below. The difference is how we might expect given how に and で normally work with time words.
Freaky Frequency
We have also just learned that に can be used to show frequency. We can actually use で in a similar way, however there is a difference in nuance. Namely, に shows simple frequency (X times ‘per’ week, et cetera), and で shows a bounded total (X times ‘within’ a week, et cetera). We can see this more clearly by looking at some examples.