「彼のこと、忘れようとすればするほど、思い出しちゃう…」
= Kare no koto wasureyou to sureba suruhodo, omoidashichau.
= The more I try to forget about him, the more I remember him….
Hi everyone!
This lesson is for my Facebook student, Yui, and also for many people who “tweeted” me in the past to ask how to use
程 = ほど= hodo.
It is going to be a long lesson. But hope you all learn more than just a word, ほど(=hodo). Ready?
→ 程 = ほど ( = hodo) = degree, extent, approximately ~
(I will write this word in hiragana except in the last part of this lesson, but you can use either hiragana or kanji.)
⭐️ When you compare A and B.
A is not as ~ as B
AはBほど〜ない ( = A wa B hodo ~ nai.)
It is always used in a negative sentence.
🔸Basic pattern 1)
● A is not as (adjective) as B
A はBほど～ない
= A wa B hodo ~ nai.
Ex. A はBほど背が高くない。
= A wa B hodo se ga takaku nai.
= A is not as tall as B
Ex. AはBほどかわいくない。
= A wa B hodo kawaiku nai.
= A is not as cute as B
Ex. AはBほど静かではない。
= A wa B hodo shizuka de wa nai
= A is not as quiet as B.
Ex. 名古屋は東京ほどごみごみしていない。
= Nagoya wa Toukyou hodo gomigomi shite inai.
= Nagoya is not as crowded as in Tokyo.
Ex. うちの学校はあそこの学校ほど大きく(は*)ない
= Uchi no gakkou wa asokono gakkou hodo ookiku (wa) nai.
= Our school is not as big as that school.
Ex. 今日は昨日ほど寒く(は*)ない。
= Kyou wa kinou hodo samuku (wa) nai.
= It’s not as cold as yesterday today.
Ex.あの先生はマギー先生ほど厳しくない。
= Ano sensei wa Maggie Sensei hodo kibishiku nai.
= That teacher is not as strict as Maggie Sensei.
🔸Basic pattern 2)
● A doesn’t do something as much as B/ A doesn’t do something as (adverb) as B
A はB ほど (verb) ない
= A wa B hodo ~ nai.
Ex. A はB ほど勉強しない。
= A wa B hodo benkyou shinai.
= A doesn’t study as much as B.
Ex. AはBほど仕事をしない。
= A wa B hodo shigoto wo shinai.
= A doesn’t work as much as B
Ex. AはBほど飲まない。
= A wa B hodo nomanai.
= A doesn’t drink as much as B.
Ex. 今日は日曜日ほど人がいない。
= Kyou wa nichiyoubi hodo hito ga inai.
= There aren’t as many people as on Sundays.
Ex. もう昔ほど、無理は (or を）しなくなった。
= Mou mukashi hodo muri wa( or wo) shinaku natta.
= I don’t work too much as before. / I don’t do crazy things like I used to.
Ex. AはBほど料理がうまくない。
= A wa B hodo ryouri ga umaku nai.
= A doesn’t cook as well as B does.
Ex. AはBほどカラオケが下手ではない。
= A wa B hodo karaoke ga heta dewa nai.
= A doesn’t sing along Karaoke as bad as B does.
Ex. うちの子供は隣の子供ほど行儀がよくない。
= Uchi no kodomo wa tonari no kodomo hodo gyougi ga yokunai.
= Our child doesn’t behave as well as the children next door.
⭐️ Not like ~ / Not as ~
We sometimes omit the subject and object when we respond to someone’s quote.
〜ほどではありません。(polite) ／〜ほどではない
= ~ hodo dewa arimasen /~ hodo de wa nai
= (Subject) is not (adjective) as/like ~ →Not as someone/something is/does
Ex. Maggie: 「かわいいね！」
= Kawaii ne!
= You are cute!
Student A : 「マギー先生ほどではありません。」(being humble and polite)
= Maggie sensei hodo dewa arimasen.
= (I am) Not as cute as you, Maggie Sensei.
＊＊＊＊＊
Maggie: 「最近、太ったね。」
= Saikin futottane.
= You’ve been gaining weight.
Student B : 「マギー先生ほどではないけどね。」(being rude. !gejigeji! )
= Maggie Sensei hodo dewa naikedone.
= But I’m not as fat as you are, Maggie Sensei.
⭐️ Not as ~ as someone has imagined / thought / expected, etc.
*思ったほど ( = omotta hodo) as ~ as someone thought
*想像していたほど ( = souzou shiteita hodo) =as ~ as someone imagined
*期待していたほど ( = kitai shite ita hodo) = as~ as someone expected
＋ ~ で（は）なかった ( = ~ dewa nakatta)／~ではありませんでした。( = dewa arimasen deshita) * more polite
Ex. 試験は、思ったほど難しくなかった。
= Shiken wa omotta hodo muzukashiku nakatta.
= The exam was not as difficult as I had imagined.
Ex. あの映画は期待していたほど面白くなかった。
= Ano eiga wa kitai shiteita hodo omoshiroku nakatta.
= The movie was not as good as I had expected.
Ex. 僕は静香ちゃんが思っているほどモテないから心配しないで。
= Boku wa Shizuka chan ga omotte iru hodo motenai kara shinpai shinai de.
= I am not as popular among girls as you think so don’t worry, Shizuka.
Ex. その店は評判ほど悪い店ではありませんでした。
= Sono mise wa hyouban hodo warui mise dewa arimasen deshita.
= The restaurant was not as bad as its reviews.
Ex.彼はみんなが考えているほど悪い奴じゃない。
= Kare wa minna ga kangaete iru hodo warui yatsu ja nai.
= He is not as bad a guy as everybody thinks.
Note: じゃない ( = janai) is a casual form of ではない ( = dewa nai)
Not worth doing something.
Ex. 彼の怪我は心配するほどじゃない。
= Kare no kega wa shinpai suru hodo ja nai.
= It’s not worthwhile worrying about his injury.
Ex. そんなに怒るほどのことじゃない。
= Sonnani okoru hodo no koto janai .
= It is not worth getting so mad.
to do something like ~ / to be as (like)~ / to be almost ~
It is very similar to 位 = ぐらい/くらい= gurai/kurai
We sometimes describe things in an extreme way.
Ex.言葉にできないほど美しい景色だ。
= Kotoba ni dekinai hodo utsukushii keshikida.
= The landscape is too beautiful for words.
(The literal meaning of 言葉にできない ( = kotobani dekinai) can’t express with words)
Ex.この漫画は、飽きるほど読んだ。
= Kono manga wa akiru hodo yonda.
= I read this comic book until I got tired of it.
(The literal meaning of 飽きるほど ( = akiru hodo) until I get really tired of → to do something repeatedly, again and again)
Ex.彼のことが死ぬほど好きです。
= Kare no koto ga shinuhodo suki desu.
= I love him so much I would die for him. / I love him to death.
Ex. 昨日は、声がかれるほど歌った。
= Kinou wa koe ga kareru hodo utatta.
= We sang until we went hoarse.
Ex.この洗剤は面白いほどよごれが取れる。
= Kono senzai wa omoshiroi hodo yogore ga toreru.
= This detergent gets rid of the stains so easily.
(Note: 面白いほど ( = omoshiroi hodo) = the direct translation is to be able to do something so easily that you get so excited or feel thrilled)
Ex.このCDを聞くと不思議なほどよく眠れる。
= Kono CD wo kiku to fushigina hodo yoku nemureru.
= I can sleep very well when I play this CD.
Ex. 彼女はプロと間違えられるほどの料理の腕がある。
= Kanojo wa puro to machigaerareru hodo no ryouri no ude ga aru.
= She is such a good chef that people mistake her for a professional.
Ex. 目は口ほどに物を言い （an old saying)
= Me wa kuchi hodo ni mono wo ii.
= Eyes are as eloquent as the tongue.
= One can say more with a look than with ten thousand words
In Samurai drama, there is a cliché line when someone asks a Samurai who just helps them his name, he says
↓
Ex. 「名乗るほどの者ではござらん」
= Nanoru hodo no mono de wa gozaran.
= I don’t deserve to identify myself (give you my name.) (I am not that great to identify myself.)
Note : ござらん ( = gozaran) is an old fashioned way to say ありません ( = arimasen)
It is usually follow the quote :
拙者、当然のことをしただけでござる。
= Sessha touzen no koto wo shitadake de gozaru.
=I just did what I should have done.
Note : ござる ( = gozaru) is another typical Samurai expression for です ( = desu)
Ex. 彼女の前で昔のニックネームで呼ばれるほど恥ずかしいことはない
= Kanojo no mae de mukashi no nikkuneimu de yobareru hodo hazukashii koto wa nai.
= There is nothing more embarrassing than someone referring to me by the old nickname in front of my girlfriend.
Ex. 目に見えないほど小さいダイヤの指輪を買った。
= Meni mienaihodo chiisai daiya no yubiwa wo katta.
= I bought a tiny diamond ring. (It is so small that it’s almost invisible.)
Ex. 父は、両手に抱えきれないほどのお土産を持って帰ってきた。
= Chichi wa ryoute ni kakaekirenai hodo no omiyage wo motte kaette kita.
= My father came back home with lots of gifts.
(The literal meaning of 抱えきれない（ = kakae kirenai ）is can’t hold something in one’s arms.)
Ex. あの子はまだ１１才なのに驚くほどの才能を持っている。
= Anoko wa mada juuissai nanoni odoroku hodo no sainou wo motte iru.
= Although the child is only 11 years old, he/she has an amazing talent.
Ex. あの人ははいて捨てるほどお金を持っているらしい。
= Ano hito wa haite suteru hodo no okane wo motte iru rashii.
= I heard he/she is loaded.
(The literal meaning of はいて捨てる（ = haite suteru） is to sweep money and throw them away.)
Ex.ここのラーメンは他店とは比べ物にならないほどおいしい。
= Kokono raamen wa taten to wa kurabemono ni naranai hodo oishii.
= The ramen here is much more delicious than the ramen at other places.
Ex. サイン会をしたら中に入りきれないほどファンが集まった。
= Sainkai wo shitara naka ni hairikirenai hodo fan ga atsumatta.
= When we had an autograph-signing session, so many fans gathered that some of them couldn’t get inside.
⭐️ ~ ほどの+adjective +noun = ~ of someone’s caliber. someone as good/great as ~
Ex. 鈴木さんほどの人がどうしてあんな失敗をしたのだろう。
= Suzuki san hodo no hito ga doushite anna shippai wo shitanodarou.
= I wonder why a person like Mr.Suzuki would make such a mistake.
Ex. マギーほどのいい女はそうそういない。
= Maggie hodo no ii onna wa sousou inai.
= There aren’t many nice women like Maggie.
Ex. 彼ほどの人がどうしてこんな大学に…
= Kare hodo no hito ga doushite konna daigaku ni…
= I wonder why a (smart/great) person like him would come to this university.
⭐️ to express approximate numbers = about, approximately
amount/number +ほど ( = hodo)
(You can replace this with 位（くらい = kurai/ぐらい = gurai))
Ex.ここから車で３０分ほどの所に住んでいます。
= Kokokara kurumade sanjuppun hodo no tokoro ni sunde imasu.
= I live in a place about a 30-minute drive away from here.
Ex.あと１００mほどまっすぐ進んで下さい。
= Ato hyakumeitoru hodo massugu susunde kudasai.
= Go straight about 100 meters more.
Ex. ５分ほど中火で煮て下さい。
= Gofun hodo chuubi de nite kudasai.
= Please cook this for about five more minutes on medium heat.
Ex.あと５名ほど遅れて来ます。
= Ato gomei hodo okurete kimasu.
= About five more people are coming later.
OK, if you are a beginner, you can stop here. !ochame!
The next section is for the intermediate level:
*********************************************************************
⭐️ When you emphasize something :
Nothing/Nobody is as ~ as A / Nobody does (can do) something as A :
A ほど ＋ verb or adjective ＋ noun + は+ない ( = nai) / いない ( = inai)／いません ( = imasen) or ありません ( = arimasen) * more polite
Ex. マギー先生ほど、生徒のことを大切に思っている先生はいません。
= Maggie Sensei hodo seito no koto wo taisetsu ni omotte iru sensei wa imasen.
= There is no teacher who cares about students as much as Maggie Sensei.
Ex. 彼ほど早く走れる人はいません。
=Kare hodo hayaku hashireru hito wa imasen.
= There is nobody who can run as fast as he can.
Ex. スイスほど美しい国はありません。
= Suisu hodo utsukushii kuni wa arimasen.
= There is no country as beautiful as Switzerland.
Ex.おにぎりほどシンプルな食べ物はない。
= Onigiri hodo sinpuru na tabemono wa nai.
= There is no food as simple as rice balls.
Ex. 今日ほど辛い日はなかった。
= Kyou hodo tsurai hi wa nakatta.
=(There are no days as bad as today) Today was the hardest day.
Ex. 彼ほどひどい人はいません。
= Kare hodo hidoi hito wa imasen.
= (There is nobody as bad as he is.) He is the worst person.
Ex. 愛する人を失うことほど辛いことはない。
=Aisuru hito wo ushinau koto hodo tsurai koto wa nai.
= Nothing is as hard as losing someone you love.
⭐️to emphasize : “this much” “that much”,etc.
これほど ( = korehodo) this much、それほど ( = sorehodo) that much、あれほど ( = arehodo) that much, to that extent
Which one to use depends on the distance between you and what/whom you refer to.
Ex. あなたがこれほど、馬鹿な人だとは思わなかった。
= Anata ga korehodo bakana hito dato wa omowanakatta.
= I didn’t think you were this stupid.
Ex. それほどお金に困っていたらどうして一言、相談してくれなかったの？
= Sorehodo okane ni komatte itara doushite hitokoto soudan shite kurenakattano?
= If you were that desperate for money, why didn’t you ask me for a piece of advice?
Ex.
A : 「日本語がお上手ですね。」
= Nihongo wa ojouzu desune.
= Your Japanese is great.
B : 「それほどでもないです。」(being humble)
= Sorehodo demo nai desu.
= Not that great.
Ex. 外はそれほど寒くない
= Soto wa sorehodo samukunai.
= It is not that cold outside.
Ex. あれほどかわいいのにカレがいないんだって。
= Arehodo kawaii noni kare ga inain datte.
= I heard she doesn’t have a boyfriend despite being that cute.
どれほど ( = dore hodo) how much, how many, how far
Note : You can replace this with どれだけ ( = doredake)
Ex. 昨夜はどれほど飲んだか記憶にない。
= Sakuya wa dorehodo nondaka kioku ni nai.
= I don’t remember how much I drank last night.
Ex. あの頃はどれほど学校が嫌いだったことか。
= Anokoro wa dorehodo gakkou ga kiraidatta koto ka.
= You have no idea how much I hated going to school at that time.
Ex. どれほどの金持ちでも人の心は買えない。
= Dorehodo no kanemochi demo hito no kokoro wa kaenai.
= No matter how rich you are, you can’t buy people’s hearts.
⭐️ moderation : ほど ( = hodo) ＋よい ( = yoi) = just right, right amount, moderate ~ adequate ~
Ex. この人参をほどよい大きさに切って下さい。
= Kono ninjin wo hodoyoi ookisa ni kitte kudasai.
= Please cut this carrot in the right size.
Ex. ４対４の合コンってほどよい人数だね。
= Yon tai yon no goukon tte hodo yoi ninzuu dane.
= A mixer (match-making party ) of a group of four men and four women is just the right number.
Ex. ここは、ほどよい大きさの店だ。
= Koko wa hodoyoi ookisa no mise da.
= The store size (restaurant, bar) is just right.
⭐️ ほど遠い ( = hodo tooi) = far from
Ex. マギーは理想の女性にはほど遠い。
= Maggie wa risou no josei niwa hodotooi.
= Maggie is far from my ideal woman.
Ex. 正解からほど遠い。
= Seikai kara hodo tooi.
= Not even close to the right answer.
⭐️ the more (someone does something) the more ~
verb + ば ( = ba ) + verb + ほど ( = hodo) + result
Ex. 彼のことを知れば知るほどわからなくなる。
= Kare no koto wo shireba shiru hodo wakaranaku naru.
= The more I get to know him, the more I don’t understand him.
Ex. あの人のことを好きになれば好きになるほど、心が痛い。
= Anohito no kotowo suki ni nareba suki ni naru hodo kokoro ga itai.
= The more I love him/her, the more my heart hurts.
Ex. この化粧水は使えば使うほど肌がしっとりします。
= Kono keshousui wa tsukaeba tsukau hodo hada ga shittori shimasu.
= The more you use this lotion, the more moist your skin gets.
Ex. 日本語は勉強すればするほど、奥が深くなる。
= Nihongo wa benkyou sureba suruhodo oku ga fukaku naru.
= The more I study Japanese, the deeper it gets.
🐶 From the picture above :
「彼のこと、忘れようとすればするほど、思い出しちゃう…」
= Kare no koto wasureyou to sureba suruhodo, omoidashichau.
= The more I try to forget about him, the more I remember him…
Note : ちゃう ( = chau) is a casual contraction of してしまう ( = shite shimau.)
★i–adjective+ ば～ほど〜 ( = ba ~ hodo ~ )
Ex. 人数が多ければ多いほど楽しいです。
= Ninzuu ga ookereba ooi hodo tanoshii desu.
= The more the merrier.
Ex. ホテルは安ければ安いほどいいです。
= Hoteru wa yasukereba yasui hodo ii desu.
= The cheaper hotel is better.
Ex. お返事は早ければ早いほど助かります。
= Ohenji wa hayakereba hayai hodo tasukarimasu.
= The sooner you reply to me the better for me.
★na-adjective : ~ なら ( = nara) ~ なほど ( – na hodo)
Ex. 子供は、元気なら元気なほどいい。
= Kodomo wa, genki nara genkina hodo ii.
= The more cheerful the children are, the better. /The cheerful children are better.
Ex. ホテルの部屋は清潔なら清潔なほどいい。
= Hoteru no heya wa seiketsu nara seiketsu na hodo anshin suru.
= The cleaner the hotel rooms are, the better./ The clean hotel rooms are the better.
⭐️ There is a limit for/to~ / Things have a limit :
When something is way too much you can say,
~ にもほどがある ( =~ nimo hodo ga aru) = There is a limit for/to ~
Ex. 図々しいにもほどがある。
= Zuuzuushii nimo hodo ga aru.
= What a nerve. / You have some nerve.
Ex. ばかばかしいにもほどがある。
= Babakashii nimo hodo ga aru.
= It’s way too stupid.
Ex. 冗談にもほどがある。
= Joudan nimo hodo ga aru.
=It has gone way beyond the joke.
Usually, you use this expression for something negative but there is a very colloquial expression to refer to someone way too cute,
Ex. かわいいにもほどがある。
= Kawaii nimo hodo ga aru.
= (Someone is) way too cute.
⭐️ Others: ほどほど ( = hodohodo) the right amount, moderately
When you control the amount of things/activities.
Ex. ほどほどにしておきなさい。
= Hodohodo ni shite okinasai.
= Don’t do too much. (Know your limit.)
Ex. お酒はほどほどに。
= Osake wa hodohodo ni.
= Don’t drink too much./ Drink moderately.
Ex. これからは煙草もほどほどにしておきます。
= Korekarawa tabako mo hodohodo ni shiteokimasu.
= I will smoke moderately. (I will control the amount of cigarettes I smoke.)
⭐️ ～の程 ( = ~ no hodo) : Business/ Formal
In business or formal situations, you see/hear these kind of expressions.
Ex.ご確認の程、宜しくお願い致します。
= Gokakunin no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
= We thank you in advance for looking into (checking) this matter.
Ex.ご理解の程、宜しくお願い致します。
= Gorikai no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
= We thank you in advance for your understanding.
Ex.ご協力の程、宜しくお願い致します。
= Gokyouryou no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
=We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Ex.ご愛顧の程、宜しくお願い致します。
= Goaiko no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
= We thank you in advance for doing business with us.
マギー先生より= Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei
これで「ほど」の使い方、わかりましたか？
=Korede “hodo” no tsukaikata wakarimashita ka?
= Do you know how to use “hodo” now?
これほど長いレッスンになるとは思いませんでした。
= Korehodo nagai ressun ni naru towa omoimasen deshita.
= I had no idea this lesson would be this long.
マギー先生のサイトほど「ほど」について詳しく説明しているサイトはないですよ♩
= Maggie Sensei no saito hodo “Hodo” ni tsuite kuwashiku setsumei shiteiru saito wa nai desu yo.
= No other site explains how to use “hodo” as well as this site.
***
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208 Comments
Hello Maggiesensei,
Thank you for the great lesson. I’m currently trying to translate Saori Hayamis Yume no Hate made, but I’m struggling with two lines and was hoping you could help me.
寂しい人ほど 優しさを持ち
優しい人ほど 強さを秘めている
Am I right in the assumption that this is a shortening for the ば～ほど〜 grammar point? So those two lines would translate to
The lonlier a person is, the more kindness they hold
The kinder a person is, the more strength they’re hiding
Thank you in advance.
Hi Liz
Yes, your interpretation is right. ☺️
Thank you very much!
🐶❤️
Senseiii is there any other way to say 〇〇ば〇〇ほど? Like how kids and teenagers nowadays say it, or short ver. of it?
Hello, 茉愛
Not just for kids or teenagers but you can also say
◯◯ば◯◯だけ
Hello Maggie Sensei,
コーヒーを多く飲む人ほど、肌のしみができにくいという研究結果がある。
I would like to expand the sentence out, is the following equivalent correct?:
コーヒーを多く飲めば人飲む人ほど、肌のしみができにくいという研究結果がある。
Thx in advance
コーヒーを多く飲めば人飲む人ほど、 →It doesn’t work
コーヒーを多く飲む in the original sentence modifies 人
You can say
コーヒーを多く飲めば飲むほど instead of using 人
It is more natural. (The hidden subject is “people in general” or “you” in general)
①パーテイーでは食べきれないほどたくさん料理が出た。
②夏の暑さを忘れてしまうほど部屋の中は涼し。
Sensei, could you please help me translate these sentences? I was also having problem in understanding the purpose of hodo in these sentences.
They served more food that we could eat at the party.
ほど describes the amount (abundance) of the food.
(Typo 涼しい） It is so cool in the room that I could forget about the summer heat.
ほど describes how cool the room temperature is.
Maggie sensei why didn’t you give any example for na adjective+hodo, and nara+hodo?
Good point! I will add some later. :)
Hello, Maggie sensei, your page is the best! ^_^
I found this sentence in a novel: “無意味で美しい行為ほど、純粋な祈りがあるだろうか”. Do I translate it right into; “Can there be more pure prayer than meaningless, beautiful act?”
Thank you in advance for the reply!
Hello xerim,
Yes, your translation is right. Just one thing.
It implies →No there isn’t. = Meaningless and beautiful act is the most pure prayer.
Hello Maggie sensei.
Thank you for the lesson
I have a question, 素直にそう思えるほどの良い表情だ。
How do you translate that? My translation would be ‘have such a nice expression that (someone) seem to be unaffected.’
Hodo has a lot of used/way to be use that I’m confused, which part of hodo in your lesson does this sentence belong to sensei?
And that Sunaoni can also mean honest, I sometimes feel puzzled which meaning to use on some kanji..
If this sentence also has よう、そう、らしい, along with that omoeru, then I’m dead..
Hi Niko
The usage of ほど is to do something like ~ / to be as (like)~ / to be almost ~
素直にそう思えるほどの良い表情だ。
→素直にそう思えるほどの modifies 良い表情 (good expression)
そう (so, that way) refers to the previous sentence.
The literal translation is
Someone’s facial expression is so good to the extent of making me genuinely think that way.
Hi Maggie-sensei,
Thank you for the lesson!
The link to your ほど遠い mini-lesson doesn’t work. Has it broken or have you taken it down? Your lessons are always so helpful. :)
Hello Manda
I took down old mini lessons so the link didn’t work. I removed the link.
Thank you for telling me. :)
Thank you very much for your reply
truly appreciated it.
ありがとうございました!!
どういたしまして ☺️
Sensei:
I came across this paragraph:
そして、この路地はごくごく狭い方だのに、向う側の家並はただぼんやり幻影の様に見えたほど、戸外は霧が濃密であった。
When I literally translate it, to me it is as if it were saying: And even though the alley was very narrow, in regard to the houses on the other side they had aa degree of having the form of illusion, outside the door the fog was very dense.
But I read it fast is as if there should be から after 戸外は霧が濃密であった。or somewhere. Or is it that であった. is working as the reason for not being able to see the houses.
よろしくお願い致します。
Hello qwert,
It is from A Christmas Carol,right?
The original English is
The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms.
The basic structure of the Japanese translation is
~たほど〜であった
The fog was so dense outside (1) that the houses in the opposite side looked liked phantoms/illusion. (2)
(1) gives a reason for the following sentence (2)
And (2) is expressing the degree of having the illusions.
Yes, Sensei, it is Christmas Carol.
Thanks for the explanation. I thought that the sentence needed から for reason because when I read it fast, it was as if something was not right. I don’t know how to explain it. And I was mentally rewriting it as:
そして、この路地はごくごく狭い方だのに、向う側の家並はただぼんやり幻影の様に見えたほど、戸外は霧が濃密ですから。
Would that sentence be correct, Sensei？
Hi again,
I understand why you want to use から to give a reason.
But if you use から the word order should change
For example
戸外は霧が濃密だったからこの路地はごくごく狭い方なのに向う側の家並はただぼんやり幻影の様に見えた。
The main focus changes → 幻影の様に見えた。
The original sentence
そして、この路地はごくごく狭い方だのに、向う側の家並はただぼんやり幻影の様に見えたほど、戸外は霧が濃密であった。
focuses on the last part, 戸外は霧が濃密であった
ありがとうございました、先生。
どういたしまして☺️
1) あの映画は期待していた(とおりに)面白くなかった.
2) あの映画は期待していた(ほど)面白くなかった.
Whats the difference between these two Sentences as there meaning is same. Please explain sensee.
Hi Laxmi
First
1)Let me change a little. 期待 is used when you expect something positive.
あの映画は思ったとおり面白くなかった。
That movie was not interesting as I thought it would be.
Before you saw the movie, you thought it would be interesting and you were right. It was not interesting.
2. あの映画は期待していた(ほど)面白くなかった.
That movie was not as interesting as I was expecting it to be.
Before you saw the movie, you thought it was interesting. (but it was not)
@maggiesensei Thank you so much sensee. I understood very well. You are amazing.
なみだをでるほどうれしいです。
You’re very welcome! I’m glad to hear it’s clear now. :)
Thank you for the detailed lesson! However, I am still having trouble with a translation where ほど is used after an adjective: “眩しい程の暗闇の中で”What is the ほど doing to the ‘dazzling’? Does it mean that it is incomparable? Or Is it more like “a darkness like that”? Thank you in advance!
Hello Rowena
“the darkness” never dazzles so it must be from some lyrics.😉
眩しい程の暗闇 dazzling darkness
The literal meaning with 程 is “the darkness is so bright that it was almost dazzling”
So it is not actually dazzling but it is so bright as if it was dazzling.
こんにちは、先生、
二日に二番の質問だけど…
I have a question about the ば~ほど~ structure.
The way you taught it, the correct way to say “The older the whiskey, the more expensive it is” is:
__ウィスキーは古ければ古いほど高いです。
However, the way Coto Academy on YouTube taught it is :
__ウィスキーは古いほど高いです。
If I plug both those sentences into an online translator, I get the same translation, so they must both be correct. So what’s the difference? Is one more casual than the other?
Thank you!
女ですよ
〜ければ〜ほど〜
In this sentence pattern you repeat the same word, so even if you omit the first part, the listener would know the meaning.
So you can see them both.
ウィスキーは古ければ古いほど高いです。 →ウィスキーは古いほど高いです。
安ければ安いほどいいです。 →安いほどいいです。
So you can omit the first part.
Why did you say 女ですよ？
あー、分かりました！ありがとうございます！
And the 女ですよ thing is just a thing my friends and I do as a meme (in response to a character named Elfman always yelling『男だ!!』), and we end emails like that sometimes so I kind of added it without noticing ^_^” Sorry if that confused you!
Ah, OK..
I thought I have never doubt you were a woman by your name ”あの女” so.. 😂
こんにちは！
First of all thank you for your page, it’s very helpful.
Secondly, I apologize if the question has been asked but I don’t seem to find it.
When studying Japanese one of the problems I encounter is to know if the grammar or vocabulary is commonly used and in which context (formal, informal).
For example with ば〜ほど, is something people use in casual speech? So if I want to say “the more I think about it the angrier I get” is there a more casual way of saying it or do people say 考えれば考えるほど怒る？
Thanks in advanced and sorry for the long thread
Hello Fumikiri,
You do use ば〜ほど in casual speech as well.
the more I think about it the angrier I get
The most natural way to say this 考えれば考えるほど、怒れてくる。・腹が立つ（hara ga tatsu) or 腹が立ってくる。
in the manga and the movie oboreru knife, there is the quote, “目が回るほど、息が止まるほど、震えるほど。。。” could you explain what these mean:) thank you
Hi vos
You have to check the meaning of these three verbs first
目が回る = literal meaning “feeling dizzy” →目が回るほど = as I feel dizzy
The common expression is 目が回るほど忙しい = very busy (like you feel dizzy)
息が止まる= stop breezing →息が止まるほど = breathtaking
震える = shaking, shivering →震えるほど = something gives the shivers (could be positive or negative)
Hey Maggie, can you please explain what usage of ‘hodo’ is being used in this sentence I read? I cant wrap my head around it!
その男は不思議に思われるほど何も知らなかった
Hi Dub
This ほど expresses the degree of his ignorance.
ほど refers to “不思議に思われる”
so the literal meaning of 不思議に思われるほど is “to the extent that one wonders why”
→ curiously (enough)/ surprisingly (he didn’t know anything)
Hi Maggie, thank you for this lesson! You’re always helping us.
Maggie Sensei, I have a question, but it’s not related to ほど. Can you answer me please?
I don’t understand why you use the particle に in this example:
Ex. マギーは理想の女性にはほど遠い。
= Maggie wa risou no josei niwa hodotooi.
= Maggie is far from my ideal woman.
********
And why you use から here? Why not に?
Ex. 正解からほど遠い。
= Seikai kara hodo tooi.
= Not even close to the right answer.
Hi Eliza,
Good question.
理想の女性にはほど遠い
正解からほど遠い・正解にはほど遠い Actually you can use them both (から and には）
(far) from ~ = から(ほど遠い）
When you use には, it has a nuance of “as one’s ideal woman” “as the right answer”.
You’re so fast! Thank you so much Maggie Sensei!
Anytime! :)
thanks to your lesson I better understood the various uses of “hodo”
But a sentence I read has confused me a little …
The phrase is this
目が回るほどの日々に
how could it be translated?
Hi Lucia,
There is an expression
忙しくて目が回る
to be so busy that one’s head spinning.
Thank you so much ^_^
Anytime! 💕
I am reading asahi, and came across this sentence. How does the last part translate?
「そんな勘違いをしてしまった人がいるほどの超絶技巧だ」 from the full context:
本物の金魚を樹脂で固めるなんて、けしからん――。かつて、そんな勘違いをしてしまった人がいるほどの超絶技巧だ
Hi Claus
I don’t do the translation here but it roughly means,
The craftsmanship was so amazing that some people mistook (the artwork with the real goldfish.)
こんにちは先生！
There are things I want to ask.
I am a bit confused about ‘ほどの…’
1. 目に見えないほど小さいダイヤの指輪を買った。
Is it possible to shorten the following sentence? Modifying the ring.
1. 目に見えないほどの指輪を買った。
2.父は、両手に抱えきれないほどのお土産を持って帰ってきた。
Would it be alright to drop the ‘の’?
2.父は、両手に抱えきれないほどお土産を持って帰ってきた。
3. If i want to say, ‘that person has countless/so many cars’ using ほど expression.
3. あの方は、数え切れないほど車がたくさんあリます。Should i add ‘の’ to modify the car ?
or just
3. あの方は、車の数が数え切れないほど多いです。
Would you mind to take a look at the following sentence, I wonder if I make any mistakes.
4. 三時間ほどずっと働いていたので、体がいつでも倒れるほど疲れています。
Your answer would be appreciated
よろしくお願いします先生。
マギー先生からの返事を待っているポストを見つけた＾＾
よろしくお願いします、マギー先生！
@天人 教えてくれてありがとう！
@Sassy おはよう！
Is it possible to shorten the following sentence? Modifying the ring.
1. 目に見えないほどの指輪を買った。
It is possible but it is more clear with 小さい.
2.父は、両手に抱えきれないほどお土産を持って帰ってきた。
→Yes.
3. あの方は、数え切れないほど車がたくさんあリます。Should i add ‘の’ to modify the car ?
The original sentence itself is not natural.
Let me change the sentences a little first. Personは〜があります。→placeには〜があります。 or personは〜を持っています。
あの家には数え切れないほど車がたくさんあリます。
あの方は数え切れないほど車を持っています。
車の数が数え切れないほど多いです。
Not natural.
4. 三時間ほどずっと働いていたので、体がいつでも倒れるほど疲れています。
→今にも倒れそうなぐらい疲れています。
If you want to use ほど
今にも倒れそうなほど、働きました。
先生に聞いてよかった、ありがとう先生！
And thank you too 天人さん for letting マギー先生 know.
どういたしまして！💕
(We are lucky to have 天人！ U^ェ^U 💕）
Hi Maggie,
I have read all the article, but I couldn’t find an answer to my question.
What’s the meaning of ほど in this sentence?
事務所との約束が守られるほど芸能界は甘くはなかった。
I really can’t figure it out!
Could you please help me?
Thank you vey much!
OK, the simple form is easier to understand.
AはBほど甘くない
A is not as sweet as B.
Ex. りんごはいちごほど甘くない
Apples are not as sweet as strawberries.
事務所との約束が守られるほど芸能界は甘くはなかった。
I don’t know the context but
The subject is 芸能界 so
芸能界は〜ほど甘くはなかった。
= The show business was not easy as the promises with the entertainment companies would be kept.
In other word, The show business was tough. The promises with the entertainment company wouldn’t be kept.
Oh my god, thank you very much for answering my question.
This is in board terms the context. A guy from a model agency made a promise to a model but in the end he broke it. That sentence is from a thought of the model.
OK, then it make a sense.
You often say this expression bringing up one’s expectation and say
~ほど甘くない It is not that easy to do ~.
Thank you very much! You helped me a lot! :D
テストは簡単なら、簡単なほどいいですね。
I do not know what it means. Could you explain?
the easier the exam the better
So (adjective) なら (adjective) ほどいい is the more (adjective) the better
Hi Maggie,
I was reviewing this again, and I came across something curious.
目に見えないほど小さいダイヤの指輪を買った
The diamond was so small it is like you cannot see it with you eyes.
Why do we say 目に見えない? Shouldn’t it be 目で見えない? Because we are saying “you cannot see it BY looking”. I understand the particle で would be use for situations when you want to say “by…”. For example, “by car” – 車で.
So when we want to say “too small to see by sight/eye” (目に見えない)… why do we use the particle に?
Good question.
When you see something with your eyes, you use で
自分の目で見る = to see something with your eyes.
目に見える
If I translated it literally it means
to be visible in one’s sight. So actually it is a location marker.
The same thing with 頭に浮かぶ = atama ni ukabu = to think of something
The literal meaning “some idea comes up in one’s head.”
Hi Dennis, Hi Maggie!
a very good question, indeed.
I understand the difference as follows:
目で見える indicates means of action (= can see / is able to see !with! one’s eyes). It stresses more the fact that something can be seen.
目に・から見える refers to a location (eyes / sight), where something becomes visible (= to be visible). It stresses more this location, rather than the action itself.
人の目に見えない = Something is beyond one’s vision / something is not visible to one’s eyes.
人の目で見えない = Something cannot be seen with one’s eyes.
ヨロシク
Nice support as always, 天人！
Thank you very much to you both.
どういたしまして〜💓
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for the lesson. I have a small question to ask about ほど ( = hodo) ＋よい ( = yoi)
It means just right. Is this related to ちょうどいい? Both seem to mean the same thing. When should I use which?
ほどよい and ちょうどいい both mean “just right”.
They could be interchangeable in some cases but when you are talking about the size or something fits someone perfectly, you use ちょうどいい.
ほどよい is often used when the speaker feels comfortable. So when you are talking about the shoe size, you don’t say
この靴のサイズはほどよい→ちょうどいい
Also when you are talking about some timing,
ちょうどいい時に彼が来た。
He showed up in the right time/timing.
You don’t say ほどよいときに
Wow, seems like a subtle difference, but I think I understand. Thanks so much and thanks for the lessons as always.
You’re very welcome, Dennis! :)
想像していたほど and 想像していた通り Are both possible? If so, how does one tell when to use which?
Thanks.
この建物は、想像していたほど大きくなかった。
You imagined the building was big but it was not as big as you had imagined.
→When the fact is different from what you have imagined.
この建物は、想像していた通り大きかった・大きくなかった。
The building was as big as you had imagined/The building was small* was you had imagined. (*not big)
→When the fact is the same as you have imagined.
Hello maggi sensei! I am not sure how to comment here. I had a question regarding the use of hodo :
届かない光へと
手を伸ばしてしまうほど
待ち続けてた、
恋い焦がれてた…
この空を
What is the significance of hodo here? Like, is it saying the ‘the amount i reached out, was the amount i kept waiting’? I am really confused….Thank you in advance!
Hi Raee
This is a very poetic expression.
Imagine, it keeps raining and you miss the blue sky a lot. This ほど describes how much you have missed the sky. As you reach out your hand towards the light which you can’t even reach.
マギー先生、こんにちは！お久しぶりですね。お元気ですか。
小さいタイポを見つけたと思います。
Ex. あなたががこれほど、馬鹿な人だとは思わなかった。
2つの「が」がありますよ。
Palidor xoxo
こんにちは、Palidor!
元気でしたか？ typo直しました。見つけてくれてありがとう！ ❤️
はい、私は元気でしたが、とても忙しかったですね。去年、新しい仕事を始めて、引っ越しましたが、仕事をあまり好きじゃなかったので、今年他の仕事を見つけました。今、国際法律事務所に勤めています。仕事が大好きですよね！
日本語を勉強し続いています。毎日、文書を書いたり、本や新聞を読んだり、暗記をしたりしますが、時々まだ無理だと感じます。でも、諦めません！
そうですか。いいお仕事見つかってよかったですね。
そしてずっと日本語の勉強を続けていると聞いて、私も嬉しいです。「継続は力」です。
これからもがんばってくださいね。
I see. Thanks.
You’re welcome! :
It’s minor but think I might’ve found a typo?
ほどではありません。(polite) ／〜ほどではない
= ~ hodo dewa arimasen /~ hodo de wa mao/
The romaji is written as mao instead of nai.~
(thanks for the lesson btw, just came across this in my textbook and I felt like I’m getting way more confused over this then I should be, this helps.~ <3 )
Thank you for spotting the typo,Tina! I fixed it. :)
Hello Maggie Sensei,
can you explain what this is:
突然立っていられないほどの痛みを背中に感じた。
My guess:I cannot stand up fast because I feel my back hurting?
Let me break it down so that you can figure it out.
突然、痛みを背中に感じた。
= Suddenly I felt a pain in my back.
立っていられないほどの express what kind of pain.
the pain as you can’t stand still
Ahh ok, so is this correct then:
My back is in so much pain to the extent that it seems like I cannot even stand still?
Sorry I meant:
Suddenly I felt a pain in my back to the extent that it seems like I cannot even stand still
Ｈｅｌｌｏ Maggie,
what does this mean:
傘を刺すほどではないが、少し雨が降っています
I am having a hard time figuring out the meaning in english
thx
傘をさす= put up an umbrella / use an umbrella
So it is raining a little but it is not as hard as you would need to use an umbrella.
Hi maggie sensei !
First of all thank you for your great lesson !
But actually I have a question, it’s about a sentence that I’ve heard in a song.
It says : “確証ないほど拡散する”
So I wanted to know what it really means ?
Thanks !
@マエル
I just wrote to someone yesterday but I don’t do the translation here (especially lyrics.) but just this once.
It’s 欅坂46’s song, right?
拡散する means “to spread” (in this case the gossip, rumors (from the previous lyrics))
So the rumor/gossip spreads to the extent that you can’t prove if they are true or not.
→the gossip/rumor spread so much that you can’t even know if they are true or not.)
voilà!
Hi Maggie-Sensei!
Can you please help me? I’m trying to read a manga and I’m having hard time understanding the hodo in this sentence:
「このまま見逃すほど甘くはないですよ？」
If it helps, there’s a battle going on and the person saying this has been ignored this whole time, until she brings out a huge weapon and says this line to the enemy.
@Jinzal
Hi Jinzal
ほど in that sentence modifies “このまま見逃す” = to over look like this. (Probably “to let you go without catching you.” in this case.)
So the rough idea is
I am not as sweet as just letting you go like that.”
Thought it might be something like that but wasn’t quite sure, thanks for the reply!
@Jinzal
You’re welcome! :)
Hey Maggie-Sensei! 🙋
Can you please help me with this sentence😊😉:
噛むほどうまい
I have seen a lot on Japanese sweets packages but I don’t really understand what they want to express 🤔🤷♀️ And what this ほど is used for. I had the idea that it maybe can have like a sense of “amazingly tasty” or “it’s so delicious to chew”. Does this make sense? I am so confused please help me😓🙏
よろしくマギー先生！
@Chii
噛むほどうまい is actually
噛めば噛むほどうまい. So the first part (噛めば） is missing.
The more you chew, the more flavor comes out or you get
The more you chew, the more tasty it gets.
ありがとうございます😊
I thought it would mean something like this I was just confused because the first part was missing 😊 Thank you for the quick reply 😉👍
@Chii
You’re welcome!!
@天人
Haha, 今回はまだ起きていましたよ！ Thank you for helping, Chii, anyway. :)
Hello Chii!
「噛むほどうまい」というのは「噛めば噛むほど味が口の中に広がって美味しい」という意味になると思います。
The more you chew, the better it tastes ＝＞ it’s so delicious to chewというのもOKです＾＾
ヨロシク。
ほ～、マギーがもう回答しましたな。なんか気づかなかったんだ＾＾
Hi Maggie-Sensei, I’ve gone through your lesson, but I’m still not sure what hodo means in the following sentence in my book.
こーヒーを多く飲む人ほど、肌のしみができにくいという研究結果がある。
People who drink coffee a lot do not get freckles easily? What role does hodo play here?
Hello Yan!
ほど used in this sentence implies “the more… the…”.
So according some scientific studies a negative correlation was found between drinking coffee and getting freckles (= the more coffee you drink, the less you are prone to getting freckles [lit. the harder freckles you can get]).
ヨロシク
@Yan
It seems like you have a nice friend who already helped you here.
Thank you 天人 for helping Yan.
Now I go get a cup of coffee!! ≡≡≡ﾍ(* ﾟ-)ﾉ.
Oh, now I get it. Many many thanks!
I don’t get why it’s just 飲む人ほど and not 飲めば飲むほど.
What’s the difference?
You can say 飲めば飲むほど,too.
Here’s the difference:
1) verbばverbほど〜
飲めば飲むほど the more you drink, the more ~
2) Noun ほど〜
飲む人ほど(* 飲む modifies a noun 人） People who drink ~ (talking about the tendency/possibility.)
Ex. 練習すればするほど上手になります。
= The more you practice, the better you will become
Ex. 練習する人ほど上手になります。
= People who study more tend to be able to do better.
ありがとうございます😊
I thought it would mean something like this I was just confused because the first part was missing 😊 Thank you for the quick reply 😉👍
Hello Maggie-sensei! Thank you so much for your lessons!
I have a small question.
Is it possible to translate the following lines:
崩れてしまうほど 壊れてしまうほど
いつでもここにいて 見つめていたい
(It’s a love poetry)
as:
Until we crumble down,
Until we break into pieces,
I want to be here always
Looking at you.
Or maybe ほど here refers to the extent of “crumbling” and “breaking”?
Thank you!
@Julia
Hi Julia
It is hard to translate poetry from a few lines but I think the subject of the first line is the person who the speaker want to look at.
So until you crumble down and break into pieces, I would love to keep looking at you staying here for good
Thank you, Maggie-sensei!
＠Julia
You’re welcome, Julia!
How would you translate 悲しいほどに美しい then? Would it be “A beautiful as (she was) sad”?
@Emily
So beautiful that I (or the proper subject) feel like crying.
Hi Maggie Sensei!
Thank you for the lesson. I have a question about another useage of hodo.
I was searching around how to say ‘I’m not good enough to..’ and found this grammar pattern that you didn’t mention. Is this correct?
My Japanese is not good enough to speak to you.
あなた話せるほど日本語が上手じゃないのです。
If that is possible, can I also say things like these using the grammar pattern above?
I can’t run fast enough to catch up with you.
I’m not good enough for you.
I’ve had enough of eating sushi. I ate too much.
I can’t get enough of Maggie Sensei’s lessons :)
This product’s quality is good enough for me.
＠Can’t get enough of Maggie’s lessons
My Japanese is not good enough to speak to you.
あなた話せるほど日本語が上手じゃないのです。
Yes you can use ほど. Just to make it more natural…
→あなたと話せるほど日本語が上手じゃないのです。
Q：If that is possible, can I also say things like these using the grammar pattern above?
Depends on the sentence.
The basic pattern is
* Aほど+ adj+ Vない・できない
One cannot/doesn’t do something as adj as A
* AがVほど+ adj+ Vない・できない
One cannot/doesn’t do something as adj as A does
I can’t run fast enough to catch up with you.
Yes. あなたに追いつけるほど早く走れない
However, you can not simply use ほど for “enough”
The following expressions will be….
I’m not good enough for you. = 私はあなたにはふさわしくない
I’ve had enough of eating sushi. I ate too much. = すしを十分（じゅうぶん）食べた・食べすぎた
I can’t get enough of Maggie Sensei’s lessons = マギー先生のレッスンが大好きだ。(How sweet!)
(can’t get enough of ~ : いくら〜しても飽(あ）きない= 好きだ)
This product’s quality is good enough for me. = この製品の質は私には十分だ。
ありがとうございます！Maggie先生の説明はいつもわかりやすいです！！
@Can’t get enough of Maggie’s lessons
どういたしまして！ :)
Brilliant – was just about to ask exactly the same question.
I came across:
厄介者の養い子に余分を取っておくほど伯母は優しくない。
Which I think means:
“Aunty is not kind enough to set aside extra for the troublesome foster-child.”
Hi Peter!
Yes, you got it right! :)
Sensei i have a some questions.
so i started reading the この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！ light novel for practice and it said in a sentence : あなたはつい先ほど、不幸にも亡くなりました.
so i understand the meaning is something like : unfortunately you died just a while ago
question 1. why does the author use both tsui and saki hodo? dont they have the same meaning or am i missing something? is it like an expression?
question 2. is there a lesson on the particle ni mo here? i dont really understand the exact meaning of the sentence(didnt find a lesson just for that one by searching “ni mo” on the site)
question 3. this isnt really important but on the 亡 kanji there was furigana saying it is read as na, is there some reason it was added? usually kanji dont have furigana in light novels unless they are names or they want them to be read specifically.
after some searching regarding my second question i found out nimo means either also or its used for emphasis. So does the nimo in the sentence just emphasize 不幸？
another update regarding question 3
i found more words with furigana, i guess light novels do have furigana for some words after all.
i guess the harder ones
@arandomboy
こんにちは、arandomboy
Q1: つい means “just” and 先ほど means “a little while ago”. So that つい is used to emphasize 先ほど
You often use them together.
The casual way: ついさっき (just now)
Q2, Q3, I guess you figured out the answer yourself.
thank you for the answer.
@arandomboy
You’re very welcome, arandomboy!
Maggie-Sensei, can you explain how the movie Warui Natsu Hodo Yoku Nemuru uses hodo? Your post seems exhaustive, and maybe it’s my yoku-nai nihongo, but I don’t see a use that fits it. Arigatoo!
@Kristi
Hi Kristi,
I should have covered the usage.
When speaker express their opinion how things works or gives some stereotyped phenomenon/person.
adjective + noun+ ほど ~
= the more noun gets (adjective) ~ (what likely to be/happens)
悪い奴ほどよく眠る
= Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru.
= The bad guy sleeps better.(The bad guys sleep better) (The worse guy you are, the better you sleep.)
使い方は恐ろしいほど多いですね
でも、私にはまだ分からない文章を見つけました。
この歌の歌詞の中にあります： http://blog.livedoor.jp/eland4771/archives/1043961433.html
「悲しいほどに美しいまま生きた」
（その歌はちょっと幻想的ですから、言葉遣いが珍しいかもしれないと分かっています）
まずは「(she) lived as beautiful as (she was) sad」という意味だと思いましたけれど、このページを読んだときに「(she) lived so beautifully that it was sad」だと決めました。どちらが正しいですか？
このレスの第一文章にその構文を使ってみました。それは正しかったですか？
Apologies for all the above as I’m sure it’s not half as comprehensible as it was in my head.
あぁ、そこにも「ほど」が要ります。「思ったほど理解しやすいではない」とか。
@score
本当に「ほど」の使い方はたくさんありますね。
確かに直訳するとおかしな文章になるのでscoreさんの訳でいいと思いますよ。
｢程」の文法はこれ程難しいだとは思いませんでした。
*I hope it is correct.
Maggie-sensei, I could understand pretty much everything :kanpai1:, but not that “We sometimes describe things in an extreme way” part. I wasn’t able to see the pattern on the examples like:
言葉にできないほど美しい景色だ。
この漫画は、飽きるほど読んだ。
I always look for patterns on the structure to make my studies easy, but I’m cracking my head trying to figure that one.
@Utsuo
OK, You may see the patten better from
Ex.彼のことが死ぬほど好きです。
= Kare no koto ga shinuhodo suki desu.
= I love him so much I would die for him. / I love him to death.
You don’t actually die but to express how much you love him in an exaggerate way you use 程.
言葉にできないほど= You may able to express the beauty of the scenery.
飽きるほど= If you get really tired of reading something, you wouldn’t keep reading but you do.
So you bring up some extreme/exaggerate example to show the degree of things.
Hi Maggie sensei,
Your lesson about hodo is very useful. Thank you very much. However, I found a sentence like this and can’t tell what type of this “hodo” in the sentence.
Please help me to clarify it. It seems they omitted the “fukamareba”…
人は知識が深まるほど、自分の無知に気がつくものである。
(The more a man knows, the more he discovers his ignorance)
Thank you Maggie sensei.
Triet Dao
@Triet Dao
Hi, sorry for the late reply. I was on the short winter vacation.
You posted the same questions a couple of time and 天人さん was trying to help you. Did you read his comment?
(@ 天人 Than, you for your help! I can always rely on you when I am away. :) )
OK
人は知識が深まるほど、自分の無知に気がつくものである。
(The more a man knows, the more he discovers his ignorance)
You are right. It is omitted 深まれば
人は知識が深まれば深まるほど~~
Sometimes we omit the 〜ば because it looks/sounds repetitive.
Tks Maggie sensei,
For some reason, my posting seemed not gone thru so I keep repeating the posting. Sorry for annoying you.
Thanks for yours and 天人さん’s clarifying.
Best regards,
Triet Dao
@Triet Dao
I am sorry.
I was on vacation and it took me a while to activate your question.
Hi Maggie sensei.
Pls help me to clarify the use of hodo in the below sentene. It seems they left the “fukamareba” off…thank you very much. Triet Dao
人は知識が深まるほど、自分の無知に気がつくものである。
The more a man knows, the more he discovers his ignorance.
Hello Triet Dao.
There’s a long and a short version of the ～ば…ほど construction.
Long: （ゲームは）難しければ、難しいほど面白い。 ==> Used in conversations & texts; sounds more formal.
Short: （ゲームは）難しいほど面白い。 ==> Usually used in conversations; sounds more casual.
ご参考になれば。
Hi Maggie sensei, pls help me to clarify the “hodo” in this sentence. It seems they left the “fukamareba” off. Thank you very much. Triet Dao
人は知識が深まるほど、自分の無知に気がつくものである。The more a man knows, the more he discovers his ignorance.
Hi!
I don’t know how to translate this…
夢見がちな理想論を唱えるかと思えば
嫌になるほど冷静な現実を武器として持ち出すな
“hodo” is used like kurai/ gurai, right? But with “buki to shite” It does not make sense !cryingboy! !cryingboy!
I hope you help me understand these lines !gejigeji! !gejigeji! !gejigeji!
@Veron
OK, I won’t do the translation here but I will break it down.
嫌になる means “to fed up with something””to be sick of something”
嫌になるほど=to the extent of being sick of something
(冷静な)現実を武器として持ち出す = to bring up (冷静な)現実 as a 武器.
Thank you, it is enough for me. I understand now… !heartsippai!
@Veron
You’re welcome!
Thanks for this explanation, マギー先生. I’m trying to translate this song (it’s stuck in my head), and I was wondering about how ほど is used in it:
(1) ヒマラヤほどの消しゴムひとつ
(2) 楽しい事をたくさんしたい
(3) ミサイルほどのペンを片手に
(4) おもしろい事をたくさんしたい
What do lines 1 & 3 mean, and how is ほど being applied grammatically there?
Thanks for your help; love the site. This is the song that I’m referencing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvKoIEmwN8Y&feature=youtu.be
@Michael
I know this song♪
They are trying to express how big their dream is.
So I would like to have so many fun things, having an eraser as big as the size of he Himalaya Mountains and a pen as big as the size of missile.
マギー先生
わかりました！説明してくれてありがとうございます！
ところで、この歌はすごいね。
@Michael
どういたしまして！このコメントに答えてからこの曲がずっと頭の中で流れていますよ♪
Ex.彼女はプロと間違えられるほどの料理の腕がある。
That sentence is extremely confusing
@Bob
Which part is confusing?
料理の腕がある = good at cooking
間違えられる= to be mistaken (people think she is a pro even if she is not.)
ほど = as (to the extent)
She cooks so well that some people think she is a professional chef (even if she is not.)
Hello :)
I came across this page while looking for an explanation of a specific construct, but saw that it wasn’t actually explained here… the use of ほど as a subject marker in lines like (x)ほど(y) to mean, to my understanding, “that which is x are/do y, unlike that which is not x”.
The specific constructs in question used “(qualifier)人ほど(statement)”, as in the proverb 下手な職人ほど道具に難癖をつけたがる, which I take it differs slightly in meaning from the variant 下手な職人は道具に難癖を付ける by emphasizing that “while 下手な職人 do this, those that are not 下手な職人 do not do this”.
I would greatly appreciate a proper explanation, though.
@FJ
下手な職人ほど道具に難癖をつけたがる
The translation is ”A bad workman always blames his tools.” but this is the pattern
~人ほど〜したがる
The more you are ~, the more you tend to be/do ~
The more the person is ~, the more he/she tends to be/do ~
Thanks for your reply.
That’s what was confusing me… whether the meaning is supposed to be “a bad workman always blames his tools (unlike a good workman)”, “the worse a workman you are, the more you blame your tools” or something like “the worse a workman you are, the more likely you are to blame your tools”/”most bad workmen blame their tools (but not all)”
But there’s no REAL difference between ほど and は in this construct?
(also, the 〜したがる root doesn’t really have aything to do with the construct, does it? The meaning is the same if it’s 〜する or something else?)
@FJ
1) 〜人は〜したがる
2) 〜人ほど〜したがる
Yes, the meaning are the same. は also has a function to show the contrast.
While は is just A = B, ほど emphasizes the meaning “the more~ ” more than ”は” and you see all the degrees/levels in your head.
Ex. excellent workman→ good workman→ so-so workman→ bad workman
So the more you move forward the direction of →, the more you want to do something
***
したがる・する the translation is the same but したがる involves the desire to do something more.
I have a がる lesson.
Got it. Thank you so much for the explanation :)
:maggie-small: :purple:
Some typos:
“Maggie hodo no ii onna a sousou inai.”
wa
hodo
sakuya
“Kare bodo hidoi hito wa imasen.”
“Sakuwa wa dorehodo nondaka kioku ni nai.”
Some questions:
1. I’ve been tought to use ほど in negative comparisons as you explained in the first section: A wa B hodo ~ nai. But I was wondering whether you could use より instead ほど in this case to, like in normal comparisons.
2. Same question for the 思ったほど ~ない form. Because I’ve heard this one with より: 思ってたより少ないな。
3. あの人のことを好きになれば好きになるほど、心が痛い。
In the “verb + ば + verb + ほど” section, why is 好きになる repeated as a whole in this case? Isn’t grammatically just なる the verb and 好きに an adverb or a noun? Is it because it’s an expression or are verbmodifiers like adverbs repeated too?
よろしく
@Zetsuboumanadeshi
Hi, manadeshi!
Thank you for spotting the typos again. :D
1. OK, here is the difference.
1) AはBより ~
You usually compare A and B
2) AはBほど〜ではない
The difference:
(1) We tend to use より more when we compare two things.
(2) ほど is talking about the degrees.
(3) AさんはBさんほど背が高くない
= A is not as tall as B
You can’t say
AさんはBさんより背が高くない。
You don’t usually use より in a negative sentence.
(Actually I am making a lesson on より(-yori) so I will cover that difference.)
2. You have to change the pattern.
思ったほど多くない。(negative sentence)
思ったより少ない。 (affirmative sentence)
3. You can also say 好きになればなるほど
If it is a compound verb, 好きに＋なる, you can skip the first part.
Ex. 勉強をすればするほど、わからなくなる。
But if it is one simple verb, you repeat it twice.
働けば働くほどお金がもうかる。
Hi again xD I started reading random posts in Japanese and I got stumped on one
「おすそ分けそんなにトーカちゃんがすきなんだね」
Supposedly おすそ分け mean share (noun). トーカちゃん is a person in the post, while すきなんだね means I like you. Right? XD
I don’t know what そんなに means.
Can I get a translation please?
@Katherine
Hi Katherine,
そんなにトーカちゃんがすきなんだね
I see you like Toka-chan so much.
そんなに means “that much”
Thank you!
“Hodo” is used like “the more it’s”?
@Katherine
Yes, that type of 程 means, “the more ~, the more ~”
Hi! I was wondering what hodo meant in this context
1)つまんない記憶ほど頭に蘇える
And
2)殺したい記憶ほど頭を支配する
Thank you!
@Katherine
Hi Katherine
1) The trivial memories come back to use more.
(←The more boring the memories are, the more you remember)
2) Not sure if this 殺す literally means to kill someone or kill certain memories. But the pattern is the same as 1)
Let say 殺したい記憶 means 忘れたい記憶
The more you want to delete the memory, the more it comes back to you.
Hi Maggie Sensei, could you explain the following? I’ve been trying to figure out what it means the whole day
“Kodomo no hikou ga subete kyoushi no sekinin da to kimerareru hodo mondai wa tanjyun dewa nai.”
Not really sure what this sentence is talking about. Is the sentence structure mentioned in your post?
Thanks a lot!
@Barry
Hi Barry
I don’t do the translation but I will help you understand the structure.
子供の非行がすべて教師の責任だと決められるほど、問題は単純ではない
“Kodomo no hikou ga subete kyoushi no sekinin da to kimerareru hodo mondai wa tanjyun dewa nai.”
OK, let’s break it down.
1) The main sentence is
問題は単純ではない
mondai wa tanjyun dewa nai
= The issue is not that simple
2) This sentence has 程(=ほど=hodo) “like/as”
It might be easier for you to switch the order of words
問題は~~ほど単純ではない
= Mondai wa ~~ hodo tanjun de wa nai
= The issue is not as easy as ~~
2) Now you just need to figure out the part after “as” (The issue is not as easy as what)
子供の非行がすべて教師の責任だと決められる
=Kodomo no hikou ga subete kyoushi no sekinin da to kimerareru
This sentence is kind of long, so let’s break this down as well.
~~だと決められる (passive form)
= ~~ dato kimerareru
= to be determined ~~
this と is to quote something
What is to be determined?
↓
子供の非行がすべて教師の責任だ
Kodomo no hikou ga subete kyoushi no sekinin da
Teachers are responsible for all the juvenile delinquency
Now can you figure out the whole thing?
Thanks Maggie Sensei! It make sense now. I had difficulty determining which is “not as easy” as the other. :-D
@Barry
You’re welcome, Barry!
Hello!
May I have one question? Is there any difference between these two sentences?
1.一番話したい人ほどうまく話せない
2.一番話したい人とほどうまく話せない
Because, taking it purely grammatically, shouldn’t they respectively mean:
1.I’m not as good at talking as the person I want to talk to the most.
2.I can’t even talk that well to the person I want to talk to the most.
@Caucasus
Hello Caucasus,
The subjects of these two sentences are different.
1. people (or a person) who want(s) to talk the most
2. I (And pay attention to the particle “と” = with. → With a person who I want to talk the most)
@Maggie
AH! That makes sense now, thank you so much! I’ve been trying to understand songs specifically because they’re challenging, my goal is to see unusual forms of 日本語 to stretch and strengthen how I think about it. Anyway, thank you again for replying and for writing this massively informative article!
@宇宙
You’re very welcome!! Good, keep enjoying studying Japanese in your way!
マギー先生、このレッソンでありがとうございました！
I actually found my way here because I’m trying to make my Japanese learning journey even more fun by attempting to translate songs. (I generally try to avoid pre-existing translations if only because they’re very rarely literal, so they don’t help much.) One in particular has me stumped; the first line goes like this:
どこから来たかなんて / わからないほどの日々で
When I saw hodo I was like “Oh great, that hodo word again…” and eventually found my way here, haha. Admittedly, I’m still not totally clear on the meaning; is he saying he doesn’t get where he came from as much these days (as opposed to the past)? Anyway, I feel like the whole song is probably sung with lots of slang and casual speech, so I’m not able to understand much anyway and there’s not much I can do right now to help that…But I’m glad I found my way here regardless, I learned a lot!
宇宙さんはマギーほど強気ない、そして宇宙さんを奮い立つ。
@宇宙
Hello 宇宙！
Everybody has a different way of learning language. And I agree. You should study Japanese from what you enjoy is the best.
But just remember. Studying Japanese from J-pop or anime songs are sometimes confusing because it is very different from how we talk and order of the words are sometimes different.
So this song is ビバナミダ？
どこから来たなんてわからないほどの日々で
I assume it is missing an adjective such as 忙しい(=isogachii=busy) after ほどの
So the possible meaning is,
I’ve been so busy lately that I don’t even know where I came from,…
Thank your lesson, it very useful to me, but could sensei explain more about Hodo use in this sentence: のみこむのに 苦労した日本語は、佃煮にするほどあった
Domoarigatougozaimasu
@anzen
It means “there were so many Japanese words (or expressions) that I had difficulties with”
You may have checked the word 佃煮 already but 佃煮 is a name of Japanese food but of course, 佃煮にするほど is an expression when there are so many things.
There are also other expression to describe when there are too many something.
(Ex. 掃いて捨てるほどある(=haite suteru hodo aru) ・星の数ほどある(=hoshi no kazu hodo aru)・）
Thank’s for your Hodo lesson Maggiesensei, could you explain more about Hodo use in this sentence: のみこむのに 苦労した日本語は、佃煮にするほどあった, and what it mean,
Arigatougozaimasu Maggiesensei
Think my post didn’t come through so.
読めば読むほど分かりやすくなる
I’m not sure what やすく was conjugated from? so I can’t understand ほど
Also my attempt この映画を見れば見るほど怖いだろう The more I watch this movie the more scary it seems
@Dannny G
Hello Danny G,
わかりやすい = easy to understand →わかりやすくなる=to be easier to understand/to become easier to understand
I have a lesson on やすい・にくい. Check this lesson.
この映画を見れば見るほど怖いだろう
Good!
But to sound more natural,
→この映画を見れば見るほど怖くなる
Hello, I have a sentence that goes:
それほど並外れたこととも思えませんでした。
It’s not so much about the hodo but, the tomo that I don’t get.
How can we translate this??
Thanks
@Jean
How about,
“I didn’t think it was such an extraordinary thing either.”
〜とは思わなかった = I didn’t think ~~~
〜とも思わなかった = I didn’t think ~~ either
wow. thank you so much dear maggie sensei and 天人さん. thank you much for giving examples. n_n. thank you much for creating this friendly and helpful site.
good day dear maggie sensei. thank you so much for your explanations. as always, you really are brilliant. oh sorry to bother, it is just that i am wondering what if (verb+hodo+ni) will mean.
i get the idea of:
me wa kuchi hodo ni mono wo ii
(eyes can say things as same level as the mouth)
but i don’t know what will be the meaning if the noun would be replaced with verb
noun+wa+verb+hodo+ni (please give an example|) n_n
but if i just over look it on the existing comments of lesson(s)please correct me and please forgive me.
thank you so much in advance dear maggie sensei and everyone.
Hello obakasanOOO
Aは…動詞＋ほどに… ＝A is so… like… / A is so… that… / A is as much… as…
Examples:
1. 彼は人々が思うほどにそんなに金持ちではない。(He isn’t so rich like people think he is)
2. ジョンは野球をするほどには、サッカーに夢中になりませんでした。 (John wasn’t so absorbed in playing soccer like in basketball)
3. 彼は、想像できないほどの嫌なやつだ。(He is so unpleasant that you cannot even image)
4. これは、期待したほどではない結果です。 (This result is below my expectations [lit. this result is not what I expected)
ご参考まで。
@obakasanOOO & 天人
Hello obakasan000! Looks like you had a nice friend who helped you here. Thank you, 天人！
Oh, now I understand :) ほど has a lot of different uses… I guessed that was the meaning, but I preferred ask you and get sure.
ありがとうございましたマギー先生！
@Sandra
どういたしまして！！いつでも聞いてね！
こんにちは、マギー先生。
I´m studying ほど and I have a question. There is a sentence I´m not sure how to translate, and what´s the use of ほど that they do.
若い人ほど朝寝坊をする。
It´s possible that here they use the ば…ほど… pattern but ば has fallen down? Which is the use for
ほど in this sentence?
Thank you in advance!
@Sandra
A great question! You are right 若い人ほど is from “若ければ若いほど”.
Young people tend to wake up late (more than older people).
The younger you are, you tend to wake up late more.
This is a technique that we use to emphasize the word which comes before ほど (in this case 若い) and it often use to bring up the unexpected fact.
You may not expect this but the truth is〜〜〜〜
Ex. （暑いければ）暑いほど、何か熱いものが食べたくなる。
When it gets hotter, we prefer to eat something hot more.
What’s the difference between としたら , とすれば and とすると ?
It works with adjectives ?
@titi
Yes, it works with adjectives.
大きいとしたら
大きいとすれば
大きいとすると
But sorry, it is hard to explain the difference in this comment section. I will add it to the future lesson list.
Thank you Maggie sensei! was getting a lil confused bout hodo till I found your explanation! Clears a lot of confusion on my end~ :)
@bulats
よかった！！I’m very happy to hear that!! !happyface!
Thank you Maggie-sensei! Please continue the good lessons!
I’m also learning at a school, Learn Japanese In Singapore so this is a great additional practice!
@Lydia
Hi, Lydia! はじめまして！
Thank you for your message. はい、これからもみんなのためにがんばってレッスン作（つく）りますね！ !happyface!
マギー先生
お久しぶりです！
もっとコメントを書くべきなのに、なかなか書く時間が見つからなくてすみません・・・
本当に、マギー先生のブログほど、おもしろい日本語関連のサイトはありませんね！いつも更新を首を長くして待って、読ませていただきます。教科書に載らない日常の日本語、最近の流行語、日本に住んでいない私にとって、いつも勉強になります。
ありがとうございます！
のろじか
@Norojika
わ〜！元気でしたか？久しぶりのコメントとってもうれしく読みましたよ♩
これからも時間があったら是非、このサイトに来て下さいね！！いつでもお待ちしています！ !happyface!
じゃあ, 次は私の番です!
「私はマギー先生ほど日本語を話すのがよくない」
Wow, I was familiar with the basics of how to use “hodo” but this lesson showed me all sorts of different ways to use it now! Great job!
@Remi Ayumi Lee
久しぶり！
Good! Just change よい to うまい
話すのがよくない→うまくない
すばらしいレッスンをありがとうございました
Thank you for the great lesson!
kono chuko no kuruma wa omotta hodo takaku wa nakatta
this used car was not as expensive as i had =)
@Amberbee
Thank you for your comment!
この中古の車は思ったほど高くはなかった。
Perfect!!!
please continue doing this! i think yours is hands down the best website to review conversational japanese. i tend to learn just by repeating what people say, so it’s really useful to have your site provide a written down version of this that also analyses the grammar and everything.
if i can request one thing: it would be cool to have a lesson on words that you can use in business meetings. it’s always hard for me to find the right “tone”. Basically simple stuff like “hey, so we’ll start with the powerpoint now” and “ok, please look at this graph here” and stuff like that. I’m also wondering what level of speech is appropriate when taking business contacts out for drinks: Sure you don’t want to sound too formal, but also not too casual.
…and: You NEED to do a lesson on golf! Seriously! Golf vocabulary and sentences and slang should be your #1 priority! :D
Cheers, again great site!
@Wolfman
Thank you for your nice comment. !happyface!
So are you a ビジネスマン? If I have a chance, I will make a lesson on business. (Can’t tell you when though..Lots of things on the list. )
Meanwhile, if you have a question, please feel free to leave a comment here or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. I can answer your questions.
It is always safe to use 敬語(keigo) formal languages in business situation unless you are talking to your subordinates or coworkers or someone really close to you.
Even if you avoid sounding too formal you should stick to desu-masu form.
(When you show people graphs)
Ex.こちらのグラフをご覧下さい。= Kochirano gurafu wo goran kudasai. formal
Ex. こちらのグラフを見て下さい。= Kochirano gurafu wo mite kudasai. (polite)
Haha, I have never played golf so I should learn how to play golf first. I wonder if they allow a dog to play golf though….
Thank you Maggie-sensei! That was an excellent lesson as usual. We just learned about “~(verb)ba~hodo” at university so it’s great to be able to consolidate my learning and get to know other ways to use “hodo”. :)
@Caedmon
Hi, Caedmon! 久しぶり！
Oh great! You have just learned ほど at University.
じゃあ、いっぱい練習して下さいね！
使えば使うほどわかってきますよ !onpu!
今、日本語を勉強すれば勉強するほど、難しすぎると思います T_T
@majoringram3636
Haha, それでも勉強すればするほど、面白くなるから続けて下さいね。 !happyface!