53524
I recently heard the phrases  
ここ最近 ("somewhat lately"/"these recent days") and  
ここ二日ぐらい（"these past 2 days or so").

I had never heard ここ used in this way before, and I was wondering if anyone
knew of other phrases or examples which use ここ to mark time in this way.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-28T13:47:10.347
53522
2017-09-28T14:13:04.857
25875
question
grammar time
Any more examples of ここ as a time reference?
Off the top of my head, there's ここのところ or its casual version ここんとこ, which
means essentially the same as 最近. That's two place words making a time
expression(!)

[Goo
Dictionary](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/77801/meaning/m0u/%E3%81%93%E3%81%93/)
gives this time-related meaning as ここ's third definition, and mentions that it
doesn't necessarily refer to the recent past, but can also refer to the near
future - essentially any period of time that's adjacent to the present. The
phrase it uses an example is ここ数年, which can refer to "the last few years" or
"the next few years" depending on context.
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2017-09-28T14:05:20.277
53523
2017-09-28T14:05:20.277
25107
53522
answer
It is actually a common usage of 「ここ」. Off the top of my head, we say the
following quite often.

・「ここのところ」(informally,「ここんとこ」) = "these days", "recently", etc.

・「ここしばらく」 ＝ "for some time now", "for some time to come", etc.

・「ここ一番{いちばん}」 ＝ "at the critical moment”

・「ここ（ぞ）という時{とき}」 = "at a (good) chance", "at an important moment", etc.
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2017-09-28T14:06:10.527
53524
2017-09-28T14:13:04.857
2017-09-28T14:13:04.857
53522
answer