〜ほど〜ない

A は + noun B + ほど + negative predicate: い-adjective 〜くない、 な-adjective 〜ではない / 〜じゃない、 verb ない-form (often a potential verb or an adverb + verb). A plain-form verb can also come before ほど, as in 思ったほど〜ない (not as ... as I thought).

• 今日は昨日ほど寒くないです。

  きょうはきのうほどさむくないです。

  Today is not as cold as yesterday.

• わたしの部屋は兄の部屋ほど広くありません。

  わたしのへやはあにのへやほどひろくありません。

  My room is not as big as my older brother's room.

• バスは電車ほど便利じゃありません。

  バスはでんしゃほどべんりじゃありません。

  Buses are not as convenient as trains.

• わたしはリンさんほど上手に日本語が話せません。

  わたしはリンさんほどじょうずににほんごがはなせません。

  I can't speak Japanese as well as Linh.

• 今年の冬は去年ほど雪が降らなかった。

  ことしのふゆはきょねんほどゆきがふらなかった。

  It didn't snow as much this winter as it did last year.

• テストは思ったほど難しくなかった。

  テストはおもったほどむずかしくなかった。

  The test was not as difficult as I had thought.

• 「新しい仕事は大変？」「ううん、前の仕事ほど忙しくないよ。」

  「あたらしいしごとはたいへん？」「ううん、まえのしごとほどいそがしくないよ。」

  "Is your new job hard?" "No, it's not as busy as my old one."

• 弟はわたしほど背が高くない。

  おとうとはわたしほどせがたかくない。

  My younger brother is not as tall as I am.

• Ending the sentence in the affirmative. In this comparison pattern ほど needs a negative predicate: 今日は昨日ほど寒いです is wrong. If you want to say that today is colder, use より: 今日は昨日より寒いです.
• Reading the comparison the wrong way round. In リンさんは田中さんほど背が高くない, the taller person is 田中さん, the noun before ほど. The topic (リンさん) is the one that does not reach that level.
• Translating 'not as ... as' word for word with 同じ or くらい and a wrong adjective form, such as この店はあの店と同じ安いじゃない. Use B ほど + negative: この店はあの店ほど安くない. Remember that い-adjectives become 〜くない and な-adjectives become 〜じゃない.

A は B より (A is more ... than B)

より is used in an affirmative sentence and makes the topic the winner: 飛行機は新幹線より速いです (Planes are faster than the Shinkansen). ほど〜ない is negative and makes the topic the one that falls short: 新幹線は飛行機ほど速くないです (The Shinkansen is not as fast as planes). The two sentences describe the same fact from opposite sides, and the ほど sentence also suggests that the Shinkansen is fast too.

と同じくらい (about as ... as)

と同じくらい says that two things are at about the same level, and the sentence is affirmative: 妹は母と同じくらい料理が上手です (My sister cooks about as well as my mother). ほど〜ない says that they are not at the same level: 妹は母ほど料理が上手じゃありません (My sister does not cook as well as my mother).

In N4 grammar questions, the key is the end of the sentence: if the predicate is negative (〜くない, 〜じゃない, 〜ません) and two things are compared, ほど is the likely answer. Reading and listening questions often ask which of two things is bigger, cheaper or faster, so practice turning A は B ほど〜ない into 'B is more ...'. In sentence-ordering questions, keep the order 'A は → B ほど → negative predicate'. The set phrase 思ったほど〜ない also appears often.

• 1. Choose the word that fits the blank: 今年の夏は去年＿＿暑くないですね。

  ことしのなつはきょねん＿＿あつくないですね。

  AしかBばかりCほどDまでに

• 2. Which statement is true according to this sentence? 電車はバスほど時間がかかりません。

  でんしゃはバスほどじかんがかかりません。

  AThe bus takes more time than the train.BThe train takes more time than the bus.CThe train and the bus take exactly the same time.DNeither the train nor the bus takes any time.

• 3. Which sentence correctly says 'This room is not as quiet as the library'?

  Aこの部屋は図書館ほど静かです。Bこの部屋は図書館ほど静かくないです。Cこの部屋は図書館ほど静かなないです。Dこの部屋は図書館ほど静かじゃありません。