goes in front of a number and means "about" or "roughly": the figure is an estimate. It sounds more formal than
and turns up in news reports, official statements and writing.
。
Roughly 30 people took part.
。
It is expected to take about two years to complete.
。
About 5,000 spectators gathered at the venue.
Before a noun it becomes : , "a rough figure".
およそ, 約 or だいたい
sits straight in front of a number and does nothing else.
is the everyday word and also means "mostly" or "on the whole". およそ shares the "about" sense with both, but only およそ has the two literary uses below.
。
About 30 people took part.
。
I've mostly finished my homework.
With a negative: "not at all"
With a negative or a word of impossibility, およそ strengthens it to "not in the least". This use is written and formal; in conversation you would say or .
。
His behaviour is utterly incomprehensible.
。
That is not realistic in the least.
。
Her attitude can hardly be called polite.
"Generally", "as a rule"
At the head of a statement about a whole class, およそ means "generally speaking" or "as a rule". With a phrase like it takes in every case: "every conceivable". This is the most literary of the three uses.
。
Generally speaking, human beings are not perfect.
。
We tried every method we could conceivably think of.
Lingaku