To the extent 〜ほど

Meaning

Gives a yardstick for how much — "so ~ that …", "to the extent of ~".

Formation

[plain form] + ほど · [noun] + ほど · [noun] + ほど〜ない (comparison)

Notes

With a negative it makes a comparison: 今年は去年ほど暑くない ("not as hot as last year") — and that form is ALWAYS negative. Otherwise it measures a degree: 立てないほど疲れた. More vivid than くらい, which is closer to a plain approximation.

Examples

立（た）てないほど疲（つか）れました。

I was so tired I could not stand.

Breakdown

たてない立てない cannot stand ほど to the extent that つかれました疲れました got tired

今年（ことし）の夏（なつ）は去年（きょねん）ほど暑（あつ）くありません。

This summer is not as hot as last year.

Breakdown

ことしのなつ今年の夏 this summer きょねんほど去年ほど as much as last year あつくありません暑くありません is not hot (negative required)

涙（なみだ）が出（で）るほど笑（わら）いました。

I laughed until I cried.

Breakdown

なみだがでる涙が出る tears come out ほど to the extent わらいました笑いました laughed

日本語（にほんご）は英語（えいご）ほど難（むずか）しくないと思（おも）います。

I do not think Japanese is as difficult as English.

Breakdown

えいごほど英語ほど as much as English むずかしくない難しくない is not difficult

数（かぞ）えきれないほどの星（ほし）が見（み）えます。

You can see more stars than you could count.

Breakdown

かぞえきれない数えきれない cannot finish counting ほどのほしほどの星 that many stars みえます見えます are visible

⚠️ Often confused with

〜くらい / 〜ぐらい

About / to the extent 〜くらい

An approximate amount — "about ~" — or a degree — "to the extent that ~".

〜ば〜ほど

The more … the more 〜ば〜ほど

"The more ~, the more ~" — one thing increases as another does.

〜さえ / 〜でさえ

Even 〜さえ

Picks an extreme example — "even ~". If this much is true, the rest follows.

〜こそ

Precisely 〜こそ

Singles something out for emphasis — "this is the one that ~", "precisely ~".

〜てまで / 〜までして

Even going so far as 〜てまで

"Even going so far as to ~".

〜極まりない

Utterly extreme 〜極まりない

"Extremely ~", "~ in the extreme" — an emphatic, usually critical judgement.

〜といったらない

Beyond description 〜といったらない

"Indescribably ~", "~ beyond words" — an exclamation of extremity.

〜始末だ

Ending up badly 〜始末だ

"It ended up ~ (of all things)" — a bad process reaches a worse conclusion.