～ほど

How to form it

• Verb (dictionary form / ない-form) + ほど
• Noun + ほど
• Verb (ば-form) + same verb (dictionary form) + ほど

Register: Neutral

Explanation

Gives the degree of something, often by comparison or an extreme example. In the pattern ～ば～ほど it says that one thing increases as another does.

Common uses: 死ぬほど (extreme), Aほど〜ない (not as ... as A), and ばほど (the more).

Examples

1. 死ぬほど疲れた。

   しぬほどつかれた。

   I'm dead tired.

2. 彼ほど親切な人はいない。

   かれほどしんせつなひとはいない。

   There is no one as kind as him.

3. 練習すればするほど、上手になる。

   れんしゅうすればするほど、じょうずになる。

   The more you practise, the better you get.

Compare with

• ～あまり(に): あまり describes an extreme result of a feeling; ほど describes the degree of something.

Common mistakes

• Using Aほど with a plain positive predicate to mean 'as ... as A', as in ×彼ほど親切だ. Aほど is usually followed by a negative, or by a 'there is no one' phrase such as 彼ほど親切な人はいない.