Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Not as… as… / Not to the extent of…
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate that the subject of the sentence does not reach the level, degree, or extent of the noun being compared against.
📋 Grammar Structure
[Verb Dictionary Form] + ほど … ない
[Noun] + ほど + [I-Adj Negative (くない)]
[Noun] + ほど + [Na-Adj Negative (ではない/じゃない)]
[Noun/Verb Plain] + ほど + [Negative Verb/Adj]
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Commonly used in reports, news, and business presentations to compare data or outcomes.
Informal Situations
Used daily among friends to talk about movies, food, or experiences.
Written Language
Used in essays, blogs, and literature for descriptive comparisons.
Spoken Language
Extremely common in everyday conversation.
💡 Common Applications
Comparing Weather or Conditions
Used to show that the current state doesn’t reach the level of a previous state.
Example: Today isn’t as cold as yesterday.
Personal Abilities or Traits
Expressing that one’s own skill level is lower than a specific standard.
Example: I’m not as skilled as my teacher.
Challenging Expectations
Correcting a preconceived notion about the difficulty or quality of something.
Example: It wasn’t as difficult as I expected.
Frequency
High. This is a standard way to express negative comparison in Japanese.
Difficulty
JLPT N3 (Intermediate)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
今年の夏は、去年ほど暑くない。
Furigana: こんねん(ことし)のなつは、きょねんほどあつくない。
Romaji: Kotoshi no natsu wa, kyonen hodo atsukunai.
English: This summer is not as hot as last year.
Example #2
漢字は思うほど難しくない。
Furigana: かんじはおもうほどむずかしくない。
Romaji: Kanji wa omou hodo muzukashikunai.
English: Kanji is not as difficult as you might think.
Example #3
私は彼ほど速く走れない。
Furigana: わたしはかれほどはやくはしれない。
Romaji: Watashi wa kare hodo hayaku hashirenai.
English: I cannot run as fast as him.
Example #4
昨日の試験は準備したほど良くなかった。
Furigana: きのうのしけんはじゅんびしたほどよくなかった。
Romaji: Kinou no shiken wa junbi shita hodo yokunakatta.
English: Yesterday’s exam wasn’t as good as I had prepared for.
Example #5
彼女は聞いていたほど怖くない。
Furigana: かのじょはきいていたほどこわくない。
Romaji: Kanojo wa kiite ita hodo kowakunai.
English: She is not as scary as I heard.
Example #6
この料理は見た目ほど辛くない。
Furigana: このりょうりはみためほどからくない。
Romaji: Kono ryouri wa mitame hodo karakunai.
English: This dish is not as spicy as it looks.
Example #7
都会の生活は想像したほど楽しくない。
Furigana: とかいのせいかつはそうぞうしたほどたのしくない。
Romaji: Tokai no seikatsu wa souzou shita hodo tanoshikunai.
English: Life in the city is not as fun as I imagined.
Example #8
今日の仕事は昨日ほど忙しくない。
Furigana: きょうのしごとはきのうほどいそがしくない。
Romaji: Kyou no shigoto wa kinou hodo isogashikunai.
English: Today’s work is not as busy as yesterday.
Example #9
この靴は歩きやすいが、あの靴ほど軽くない。
Furigana: このくつはあるきやすいが、あのおくつほどかるくない。
Romaji: Kono kutsu wa aruki yasui ga, ano kutsu hodo karakunai.
English: These shoes are easy to walk in, but not as light as those ones.
Example #10
この部屋は、となりの部屋ほど広くない。
Furigana: このへやは、となりのへやほどひろくない。
Romaji: Kono heya wa, tonari no heya hodo hirokunai.
English: This room is not as spacious as the room next door.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The noun before ほど is the ‘standard’.
The noun before ‘hodo’ (去年 – last year) represents the higher degree of the quality (coldness).
Example: 今年の冬は去年ほど寒くない。
Comparison with ‘Yori’ vs ‘Hodo’.
‘Hodo… nai’ is used specifically for negative comparison (‘not as…’), while ‘Yori’ can be used for positive comparison (‘more than’).
Example: 彼は君ほど若くない。 vs 彼は君より若い。
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ‘hodo’ with a positive sentence to mean ‘not as’.
✅ A ほど B ない (Negative required).
Learners often forget that ‘hodo’ in this context must be followed by a negative predicate.
❌ Mixing up the subject and the object of comparison.
✅ 日本語は英語ほど難しくない。 (Japanese is not as difficult as English.)
Confusing the subject and the standard of comparison. The noun before ‘hodo’ is the higher standard.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Polite depending on the sentence ending (~nai vs ~arimasen).
Social Situations: Safe to use in almost any social context to make polite comparisons.
Regional Variations: Standard throughout Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
ほど…ない vs より…ない
‘Hodo… nai’ focuses on the degree or level, while ‘yori… nai’ is a simple comparison of superiority/inferiority.
When to use: Use ‘hodo’ when you want to emphasize that something doesn’t reach a certain high level.
📝 Conjugation Notes
When using verbs before ‘hodo’, always use the plain/dictionary form (e.g., 思うほど). Adjectives following ‘hodo’ must be in their negative form.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Ensure a slight emphasis on ‘hodo’ to clearly mark the standard of comparison.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘hodo’ as ‘degree/extent’. So ‘A hodo B nai’ literally means ‘To the extent of A, B is not.’
Other Grammar
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