あの やつ は ひゃく まん ぐらい ぬすん だ。
Ano yatsu wa hyaku man gurai nusunda.
That cat stole about a million yen.
You see, gurai is like the homie who helps you size up a situation. It’s all about approximating amounts or degrees. Think of it as sayin’ “about,” “around,” or “more or less.” It’s for when you ain’t got the exact digits, but you can get pretty close.
It’s also got a lil’ extra flavor. It can also be used to say “at least” or “at the very least.” For example, if your crew wants to know how much cash you got from a lick, you ain’t gonna give ’em the exact number. Nah, you’ll say you got “about” a mil. And if you’re tryin’ to tell someone how much they owe you, you might tell ’em, “You should at least pay me back for the gas money.” That’s gurai right there.
It’s a flex, too. It can also be used to express a low estimation, like “this is the kind of guy who would do that.” It’s a way of throwin’ shade and sayin’ someone is a low-down cat.
This part is simple, my man. You just slap gurai on the end of a noun or a verb. It’s so easy, a rookie could do it. Check the table below.
| Word Type | Conjugation | Hiragana | Translation |
| Noun | Noun + ぐらい | 500えんぐらい | about 500 yen |
Think of gurai like countin’ stacks of cash with your boys. You ain’t gonna bust out a calculator and get the exact number, nah. You’re just gon’ eyeball it. “That’s about ten bands,” you say. You know it’s not exactly ten bands, but it’s close enough for the streets. That’s gurai right there—a quick, slick way to talk about numbers without gettin’ too technical.
Let’s break down some of that J-town street slang, feel me?
いち おく えん (Ichi Oku En)
English: 100 million yen.
Yo, this right here is some serious paper. We talkin’ big money moves, the kind that can change a whole crew’s fortune. It’s the kind of cash you see in those heist flicks, a life-changing score. That’s a hundred mill in Yen, straight up.
カチコミ (Kachikomi)
English: Retaliatory raid; surprise attack.
This ain’t no playground scuffle. This is when a rival crew rolls up on your block unannounced, ready to get down and dirty. It’s an all-out assault, a surprise attack to settle beef. Think of that scene in “Training Day” when Alonzo Harris rolls up on that stash house. That’s a full-on kachikomi.
シャブ (Shabu)
English: Methamphetamine; crystal meth.
This word is the street name for that hard stuff, that crystal meth. It’s the kind of drug that’ll mess up a whole neighborhood, ruin lives, and get you locked up for good. We talkin’ about the poison that characters in “Breaking Bad” are cookin’ up.
じょうのう きん (Jounoukin)
English: Tribute money; protection money.
This is what the head honcho demands from the crews under their command. It’s like a tax, a cut of the profits that the crews gotta pay to the top dog for protection and to stay in the game. It’s what the crime bosses in “The Godfather” collect from the families. You gotta pay to play, or you get your whole operation shut down.
こうそう (Kousou)
English: Conflict; dispute; struggle.
This word is all about the war on the streets. It’s the clash of crews, the turf battles, and the struggle for power. It’s not just a fight; it’s a deep-seated beef that can lead to some serious drama and casualties. It’s the conflict between the gangs in “Boyz n the Hood” that makes that whole movie. It’s the struggle, the beef, the whole shebang.
Peep these sentences to see how we speak in the streets.
ボス は まいばん いち じかん ぐらい ねる。
Bosu wa maiban ichi jikan gurai neru.
The boss sleeps about one hour every night.
まいにち しゃてい から いち まん えん ぐらい もらう。
Mainichi shatei kara ichi man en gurai morau.
I get about 10,000 yen from my underlings every day.
その じゅう は いち おく えん ぐらい の かち が ある。
Sono juu wa ichi oku en gurai no kachi ga aru.
That gun is worth about 100 million yen.
けいさつ が くる まで に さん びょう ぐらい しか ない。
Keisatsu ga kuru made ni san byou gurai shika nai.
There are only about three seconds until the police arrive.
この しごと は ご ふん ぐらい で おわらせる。
Kono shigoto wa go fun gurai de owaraseru.
I’ll finish this job in about five minutes.
カチコミ は じゅう にん ぐらい で いく。
Kachikomi wa juu nin gurai de iku.
We’re going to raid their turf with about 10 people.
その シャブ は ご せん えん ぐらい だ。
Sono shabu wa go sen en gurai da.
That meth is about 5,000 yen.
まいつき いち まん えん ぐらい の じょうのう きん を はらう。
Maitsuki ichi man en gurai no jounou kin o harau.
I pay about 10,000 yen a month in tribute.
その けんじゅう の たま は に じゅっ ぱつ ぐらい のこっ ている。
Sono kenjuu no tama wa ni juppatsu gurai nokotte iru.
There are about 20 rounds left in that pistol.
この こうそう は いち ねん ぐらい は つづい て いる。
Kono kousou wa ichi nen gurai wa tsuzuite iru.
This conflict has been going on for about a year.
Now you’re in the know. Go on and use this lingo to show ’em you’re legit. Stay up, and stay dangerous. Peace out.
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