先頃

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 先頃 (さきごろ) is an adverbial noun meaning recently or the other day.
• Basic usage: It refers in a somewhat formal or written tone to materials sent or events that occurred in the recent past.
  • 先頃お送りした資料について確認したい。 — I would like to follow up on the materials I sent recently.
  • 先頃、昔の友人から思いがけない手紙が届いた。 — An unexpected letter arrived from an old friend the other day.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tone of recent time
  • この前 also means the other day, but 先頃 has a more written or businesslike tone. It does not refer to a future time.