Grammar › Comparison & Degree
ほど〜ない — “not as much as”
Compares two things and says one falls short of the other's level
A + ほど + a negative predicate says the subject doesn't reach the level of A — “not as … as A.” It's the negative flip-side of くらい/ぐらい, and works with nouns, plain verbs, and adjectives.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + ほど〜ない | 彼ほど上手じゃない — I'm not as good as him |
| Plain form + ほど〜ない | 想像していたほど難しくなかった — It wasn't as hard as I'd imagined |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今年の冬は去年ほど寒くない。 | ことしのふゆはきょねんほどさむくない。 kotoshinofuyuhakyonenhodosamukunai。 | This winter isn't as cold as last year. |
| 彼女ほど速く走れる人はいない。 | かのじょほどはやくはしれるひとはいない。 kanojohodohayakuhashireruhitohainai。 | There's no one who can run as fast as her. |
| 思ったほど混んでいなかった。 | おもったほどこんでいなかった。 omottahodokondeinakatta。 | It wasn't as crowded as I thought. |
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Watch out
ほど needs a negative predicate to mean “not as much as” — 彼ほど上手だ (without ない) doesn't mean “as good as him”; for a positive equal comparison, くらい/ぐらい is the pattern to use instead.