頃 means “around (a time), period”

ころ · koro

Also: time, about, toward

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): ころ, ごろ, しばらく
On'yomi (Chinese reading): ケイ, キョウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 11 strokes

The story

A head (頁) tipped beside 匕: 頃 once meant a tilted head, a sense now carried by 傾, lean. Picture that tilt as a little leeway on the clock: 3時頃 is around three, その頃 is back then, and 近頃 is these days.

Used in その頃 (sono koro, back then), 近頃 (chikagoro, lately), and 日頃 (higoro, usually/day to day)

頃 means “around (a time), period”

The story

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