ほど (hodo) — sensushi

Related patterns5

Similar

くらい
In this positive degree-illustration use ほど and くらい trade places freely (死しぬほど／死しぬくらい疲つかれた). The split shows up only under a comparative negative (hodo-nai's territory, not this entry's).
あまり（に）あまりに
ほど paints a degree with a comparison, often not literal (死しぬほど疲つかれた). あまりに names the real cause of what actually happened (緊張きんちょうしたあまりに、声こえが震ふるえた).
とても
ほど pins the degree to a named comparison point (死しぬほど暑あつい). とても names no comparison point, it's the plain word for "very" learned first.

Lookalikes

Same meaning13

more than; the most

だけましだat least X — a bad situation beats the worse alternativeattaches at
ほど〜ないnot as … asattaches at
いちばんthe most; number oneattaches at
以上いじょうにmore than; even more than — passes the level it's measured againstattaches at
くらいabout; to the extent thatattaches at
くらいならrather than ... — the speaker settles for anything over the option namedattaches at
に限かぎるnothing beats X; the best thing to do is Xattaches at
に越こしたことはないnothing is better than X; the more/better X, the betterattaches at
に比くらべてcompared to N; in comparison with Nattaches at
のほうがis more …; the … one of the twoattaches at
というよりrather than saying ...; more like ...attaches at
割わりにconsidering ...; more/less than expected given ...attaches at
よりthan; compared toattaches at

All examples7

to the point of V-ing/that much — a benchmark for the degree

今日きょうは死しぬほど疲つかれたよ。
kyou wa shinu hodo tsukareta yo.
Today I'm exhausted to the point of dying. casual
卒業式そつぎょうしきで泣なくほど感動かんどうしました。
sotsugyoushiki de naku hodo kandou shimashita.
At the graduation ceremony I was moved to the point of crying. neutral
今回こんかいの被害ひがいは言葉ことばを失うしなうほど深刻しんこくでございました。
konkai no higai wa kotoba o ushinau hodo shinkoku de gozaimashita.
This time's damage was serious to the point of leaving one speechless. formal
会場かいじょうには、数かぞえきれないほどの人ひとが集あつまっていた。
kaijou ni wa, kazoekirenai hodo no hito ga atsumatte ita.
More people than you could count had gathered at the venue. neutral

it got to the point that — the benchmark is everything

最近さいきんの暑あつさ、外そとに出でられないほどだよ。
saikin no atsusa, soto ni derarenai hodo da yo.
The heat lately is so bad you can't go outside. casual
会場かいじょうは、身動みうごきが取とれないほどでした。
kaijou wa, miugoki ga torenai hodo deshita.
The venue was packed to the point where you couldn't move. neutral
痛いたみはあるものの、仕事しごとを休やすむほどではありません。
itami wa aru mono no, shigoto o yasumu hodo de wa arimasen.
There is some pain, but not enough to take a day off work. formal

How it's formed4

All forms9

ほどだhododaalternant
味あじわうほどだ
closes the sentence instead of modifying what follows — 手てが震ふるえるほどだった, "it got to where my hands were shaking."
ほどならhodonaraalternant
味あじわうほどなら
the ほどだ at the end handed to なら — 熱ねつが出でるほどなら、病院びょういんに行いったほうがいい, "if it's bad enough to give you a fever, see a doctor."
かと思おもうほどkatoomouhodoalternant
puts a fleeting thought in the benchmark's place — 地面じめんが割われるかと思おもうほどの音おとがした, "there was a noise so loud I thought the ground was splitting."
ほどのhodono＋名詞めいしadnominal
味あじわうほどの
goes in front of a noun to size it — 声こえも出でないほどの驚おどろき, 数かぞえきれないほどの人ひと.
ほどにhodonialternant
味あじわうほどに
に in place of だ or の when the benchmark modifies a verb or adjective in writing — 息いきが止とまるほどに美うつくしい; speech leaves the に out.

negativeほどではないhododehanai
味あじわうほどではない
polite negativeほどではありませんhododehaarimasen
味あじわうほどではありません
pastほどだったhododatta
味あじわうほどだった
politeほどですhododesu
味あじわうほどです

Notes

The benchmark itself needs no negative (死しぬほど疲つかれた works as is).
〜ほどではない denies the degree ("not that bad"); ほど…ない compares two
things instead (今年ことしは去年きょねんほど暑あつくない).