Not as… as: 〜ほど〜ない
A は B ほど + negative adjective
A は B ほど + negative: A isn't as… as B (A has “less”). With a verb: 思ったほど 〜ない = less than expected. After a number, ほど = about.
In short
A は B ほど 〜ない means “A isn't as… as B”: 大阪は 東京ほど 大きくない, “Osaka isn't as big as Tokyo”. In this meaning, ほど is always used with a negative.
- 大阪は 東京ほど 大きくないです。おおさかは とうきょうほど おおきくないです。Osaka isn't as big as Tokyo.
- 今年の 夏は 去年ほど あつくない。ことしの なつは きょねんほど あつくない。This summer isn't as hot as last year.
- 試験は 思ったほど 難しくなかった。しけんは おもったほど むずかしくなかった。The exam wasn't as hard as I'd thought.
The basics
ほど marks the reference level: “to the extent of B”. Followed by a negative, it says A doesn't reach that level — exactly English “not as… as”. It's a comparison that gently puts A in the lower position.
Osaka isn't as big as Tokyo.
- noun
- adjective
- わたしは 兄ほど 背が 高くない。わたしは あにほど せが たかくない。I'm not as tall as my big brother.
- テニスは サッカーほど 好きじゃ ありません。てにすは さっかーほど すきじゃ ありません。I don't like tennis as much as football.
ほど and より: the same idea, two angles
より (N5) compares positively: 東京は 大阪より 大きい (Tokyo is bigger than Osaka). ほど〜ない says the same thing from the other side: 大阪は 東京ほど 大きくない. Watch the order: with ほど, the subject (A) is the one that has “less”.
| Sentence | Which is bigger? |
|---|---|
| 東京は 大阪より 大きい | Tokyo |
| 大阪は 東京ほど 大きくない | Tokyo |
| 東京は 大阪ほど 大きくない | Osaka |
- この 店は あの 店ほど 安くないです。この みせは あの みせほど やすくないです。This shop isn't as cheap as that one.
With a verb: 思ったほど, そんなに
ほど can also follow a verb: 思ったほど (as much as I'd thought), 聞いたほど (as much as I'd been told). Handy for saying something was less… than expected.
You'll also come across ほど after a number: 二時間ほど (about two hours). There, there's no negative, and the meaning is simply “about”.
- 日本語は 思ったほど 難しくない。にほんごは おもったほど むずかしくない。Japanese isn't as hard as I'd thought.
- 駅で 二時間ほど 待ちました。えきで にじかんほど まちました。I waited about two hours at the station.
Common mistakes
- Using an affirmative adjective: “東京ほど 大きい” doesn't have this meaning; you need the negative: 大きくない.
- Reversing the order: in A は B ほど 〜ない, it's A that has “less”.
- Translating ほど on its own as “as much as” and forgetting the negative: the whole sentence means “not as… as”.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N4 point is on the Ōsaka Kanjō Line (Emotions) of the Osaka subway.