grofweg

Grofweg is a Dutch adverb used to express that a statement is an estimate rather than a precise value. It translates roughly to “roughly” or “approximately” in English and is common in both spoken and written Dutch.

The word is a compound of grof meaning rough or coarse and weg meaning way or path. The phrase conveys doing something in a rough manner or, more commonly, describing something in broad terms rather than exactly.

It appears before the element it quantifies: grofweg 50 mensen, grofweg twee dagen, or grofweg tussen de 1.000 en 1.500 euro. It can also be used with clauses: grofweg gezegd, dit is de situatie. The exact placement of the adverb emphasizes that the figure or statement is approximate.

Usage and register: grofweg is widely understood and used in everyday speech and in journalism. In formeler of technical contexts, alternatiefs such as ongeveer or circa may be preferred. Grofweg often adds a practical hedging effect, signaling that precision is not essential for the point being made.

See also: naast grofweg bestaan er vergelijkbare aanduidingen zoals ongeveer, circa en in grote lijnen, die eveneens bedoeld zijn om nauwkeurigheid te temperen. Grofweg heeft een informelere connotatie dan sommige alternatieven, maar blijft normaal binnen neutrale tot informele stijl.