and
size something up as "about this much, and no more": "at most", "roughly", "I'd say". They follow a noun – very often a number – or a plain-form clause, and they end the sentence.
、。
My monthly savings are about 30,000 yen at best.
、ごれい50ぱあせんと%。
With my current ability, I'd put my chances of passing at about 50%.
、。
As for my Japanese, I've only just finished the beginner level.
Playing the amount down
The figure is an upper limit, not an achievement. "at most" or "well" in front pushes it lower still.
。
There were about 20 participants at most.
、。
Her cooking is, well, about average.
To stress that a number is large, use instead.
。
There were as many as 500 participants.
Register
The two forms swap freely. They suit writing and measured speech; in casual talk they shrink to or . To give a rough number without judging it, everyday Japanese uses .
。
I'd say we're about halfway through the preparations.
。
It's about a 15-minute walk to the station.
Lingaku