KanjiJLPT N2
Around (A Time)

time, about, toward

Mnemonic

A spoon scrapes a wide circle on a calendar page, marking not a precise date but around (a time) something happened. The spoon's rounded bowl leaves a hazy ring on the page — a fitting symbol for "somewhere near this date."
Additional thoughts
Picture the spoon's curved bowl tracing a wobbly circle around a cluster of dates on the page. It can't pin down one exact day, only the general vicinity. The roundness of the spoon mirrors the roundness of 'around.'
Quick recall
A spoon traces a hazy circle on a calendar page, marking around (a time).

Details

The keyword for 頃 is around (a time). This kanji refers to an approximate point in time or a general period, as in "around that time" or "about when something happened." It conveys a sense of temporal vagueness, indicating not a precise moment but a rough timeframe. It is commonly used to express when something took place or is expected to occur without pinpointing an exact date or hour.
On'yomi
けい、きょう
Kun'yomi
ころ、ごろ、しばら.く