The Particles ほど & くらい
Although very similar, ほど and くらい―also ぐらい―are not always the same.
The Adverbial Particle ほど
The first thing that you should know about the particle ほど is how it is attached to various parts of speech and what sort of particle combinations are allowed.
| Class | Pattern | Example |
| 名詞 | N+ほど | 日本ほど |
| 形容詞 | 連体形＋ほど | できないほど |
| 形容動詞 | 連体形＋ほど | 楽なほど |
| 動詞 | 連体形＋ほど | 考えるほど |
As far as particles are concerned, the typical order is noun + case particle ＋ ほど. However, が・を are deleted. If they are to be used, they are used right after ほど. However, the particles such as に, で, and から are always after it.
Approximation
After a quantity, ほど shows an approximation. This usage is interchangeable with くらい・ぐらい.
1. ９年間ほど
About nine years
2. 旅は10時間ほどかかるでしょう。
The trip will probably take about ten hours.
3. そのロープは長さが六メートルほどあります。
The rope is about six meters long.
4. することが山ほどあるよ。
I have a pile of work to do.
Literally: I have a mountain of stuff to do.
5. あと１ヶ月ほどで夏休みになる。
I’ll be on summer vacation in about a month.
6. この仕事はあと２週間ほどあれば出来上がりますか。
Will this job get done in around two weeks?
7. ｛細石・小石｝ほどの大きさの石
A stone the size of a pebble
Reading & Meaning Note: 細石 ＝ さざれいし. This is smaller than a 小石. However, in English you use the same word.
8a. あの橋はどれ｛ほど・くらい｝長いんですか。(More natural)
8b. あの橋の長さはどれくらいですか。
How long is that bridge over there?
9. お（お）よそ50人（ほど）の人
Around fifty people
Word Note: お（お）よそ ＝ Approximately
Extreme Example
It may also show an extreme example. It takes a specific situation and evaluates its extent. So, it is often translated as “to the extent that”. It may be seen after nominal or verbal expressions. Of course, idiomatic translation may very well blur this literal definition.
10. 言葉にできないほど素晴らしい。
It’s too wonderful for words.
11. 彼は歩けないほど弱ってはいなかった。
He wasn’t weak enough to not walk.
12. 彼を見てるのが気の毒なほど悄気てる。(Casual)
Just seeing him makes me feel bad.
13. 彼はそれを試みるほど勇敢な兵士ではありません。
He isn’t a brave enough soldier to attempt that.
14. 全国民は戦争に優勝して、涙が出るほど嬉しかったです。
The entire nation was happy to the point of tears from winning the war.
15. 振り解けないほど彼女を確りと抱き締めた。 (叙述的な表現)
I hugged her so tightly that she couldn’t break away.
漢字 Note: しっかり（と） is usually written in ひらがな. Using the 漢字 is more old-fashioned.
When ほど is used to make a negative comparison such as in the following sentences, it cannot be replaced with くらい・ぐらい.
16. クリスマスほど待ち遠しいものはない。
There’s nothing I look forward to more than Christmas.
17a. 鈴木さんは外見ほど年をとっていませんね。 (Potentially rude)
17b. 鈴木さんは見た目より若く見えますね。 (More natural)
Mr. Suzuki’s not as old as he looks.18. 高橋氏は外見ほどの年齢じゃないよ。 (失礼な言い方)
Mr. Takahashi is not as old as he looks.
19. 日本に住むほど幸せなことはありません。
There is nothing more happy than living in Japan.
20. 足はこの程度なら医者に行くほどのこともない。
If your foot is only this bad, there’s no need to go to the doctor.
21. 怒るほどのことではありません。
It’s not something we need to get angry about.
22. 心配するほどの怪我ではありません。
It’s not an injury to worry about.
23. 病状は手術が必要なほどではない。
The condition of her illness is not to the point of surgery.
24. あいつは俺ほどうまく運転しねー。（Vulgar)
He doesn’t drive as good as me.
25. 私の知識など先生のそれとは比較にならないほどお粗末なものでございます。 (Humble)
My knowledge is not even comparable to that of the teacher’s.
26. 散歩ほどいいものはないね。
There’s nothing like a walk, right?
27. 今日の微分積分学の試験は思ったほど難しくなかった。
Today’s calculus exam was less difficult than I thought.
28. 結果は後程ご一報ください。(Formal)
Please inform us the results later.
敬語 Note: 後程（のちほど） ＝ あとで.
AすればAするほど
This pattern means “the more…the more…”. Without the conditional, you’d just show that there is a link between the extent of the pattern and the phrase that follows. The overall sentence can either be positive or negative depending on whether you are showing an increase or decrease in the degree of something respectively. You cannot replace ほど with くらい・ぐらい for this usage!
| Verbs | 泳ぐ → 泳げ → 泳げ ＋ば ＝ 泳げば ＋ 泳ぐほど ＝ 泳げば泳ぐほど |
| 形容詞 | 新しい → 新しけれ ＋ ば ＝ 新しければ ＋ 新しいほど ＝ 新しければ新しいほど |
| 形容動詞 | 簡単だ → 簡単な （＋ば） ＝ 簡単なら（ば） ＋ 簡単なほど ＝ 簡単なら（ば）簡単なほど |
Politeness Note: Using であれば instead of なら is more formal/polite.
29. 多ければ多いほどよい。
The more, the better it is.
30. 複雑なら複雑なほど壊れやすいです。
The more complicated something is, the easier it is to break.
31. 何でも、練習すればするほど上手になります。
With anything, the more you practice, the better you become.
32. 価格が高ければ高いほど、需要は減少する。
The higher the price, the smaller the demand is.
33. 骨董品は古ければ古いほど価値があがる。
The older antiques are the more value it has.
34. 早ければ早いほどいいです。
The sooner, the better it is.
35. 高く登れば登るほど寒くなってくる。
The higher you climb, the colder it gets.
36. パソコンは操作が簡単であれば簡単であるほどいいです。
The easier the operation of a PC is, the better it is.
37. 田舎に住むほど幸せなことはないと思う。
I think that nothing is happier than living in the country.
38. 人が多ければ多いほど楽しい。
The more the merrier.
39. 深ければ深いほど暗くなる。
The deeper you get, the darker it gets.
The Adverbial Particle くらい・ぐらい
The way くらい・ぐらい are attached to things is the same as with ほど, but its combination with other particles is slightly different.
| Class | Pattern | Example |
| 名詞 | N+くらい・ぐらい | 一円｛くらい・ぐらい｝ |
| 形容詞 | 連体形＋くらい・ぐらい | 見えない｛くらい・ぐらい｝ |
| 形容動詞 | 連体形＋くらい・ぐらい | 不思議な｛くらい・ぐらい｝ |
| 動詞 | 連体形＋くらい・ぐらい | 捨てる｛くらい・ぐらい｝ |
The particles が and を if used with it are after it. The particles に, へ, で, と, から can all be seen before or after it.
Approximation
Introduces something and then shows the degree or quantity almost equivalent to that. When you are saying that something is the same degree, you must use くらい・ぐらい.
40. ニューメキシコ州も同じ｛〇 くらい・〇 ぐらい・X ほど｝暑いですよ。
New Mexico is just as hot.
41. ８時くらいです。
It’s about eight o’clock.
42. リーチは立原の方が極端なぐらい長い。
As for reach, Tachihara’s is longer to an extreme.
From 擬態 by 北方謙三.
43. 彼は３６歳ぐらいだ。
He is around thirty six years old.
44. ３０分ぐらいしてから、もう一度電話をかけてみました。
I tried calling again after about thirty minutes.
45. 私の捕った魚はこれくらいの大きさでした。
The fish I caught was about this big.
46. 昼くらいに雨が止んだ。
It stopped raining around noon.
47. それくらいのことでめげるな。
Don’t be discouraged at such a thing.
48. 眉が隠れるくらいに切ってください。
Please cut it so that my eyebrows are covered.
49. そして仲田が、その女を自分の妹あつかいし、馬鹿にしているのを勿体ないことをする奴だ位に感じた。
Furthermore, he felt that Nakata was this guy treating that (perfect woman for him) as his own sister, making her out to be stupid, having her do things unfit for her class.
From 友情 by 武者小路実篤.
Grammar Note: An entire clause is modifying 位, the 漢字 spelling of くらい, and if this were written in a more modern fashion, quotations would have probably been used to reinforce a short spoken pause that aids in the grammaticality of this sentence.
Orthography Note: This sentence comes from a book originally published in 1920, which is why くらい is written in 漢字. It would be somewhat old-fashioned to do likewise today.
Belittling
Introduces something of light degree and limits it to a certain level. This can be seen in the pattern XのはYくらいだ (Y is about the only X). Thus, again, this usage creates a minimal phrase. This belittling usage is not interchangeable with ほど.
50. せめてタバコくらいやめてくださいよ。
The least you can do is stop smoking.
51. 簡単な料理ぐらい私だってできるよ。
Even I can cook a simple meal (to that extent)!
52. 子供でもそんなことくらい分かる。
Even a child would understand (to the extent of) something like that.
53. 「韓国料理は、何でも好きですか」 「いいえ、私が好きなのはキムチくらいです」
“Do you like any Korean food?”. “No, kimchi is about the only thing I like”.
54. 「このごろの子供は、本をあんまり読まんと聞いたが」「ええ、ほんとに。よく読むのマンガぐらいなんだよね」「そりゃ困ったな～」 (すごく砕けた言い方)
“I heard that kids these days don’t read books much”. “Yeah, that’s true. Manga is just about the only thing they often read”. “That’s no good”.
55. 「あの、君はスポーツは何でもできるんでしょ」「いや、実は、僕ができるのは｛サッカー・卓球・野球・バドミントン・テニス｝くらいだよ」
“Uh, you can play any sport, right?”. “No, actually, [soccer; table tennis; baseball; badminton; tennis] is about the only thing I can”.
56. 空一面真っ赤になるくらいの見事な夕焼けでした。
The splendid sunset was to the extent that the whole sky turned completely red.
57. 恥ずかしくて穴があったら入りたいくらいだった。
I was so embarrassed to the extent that if a hole opened up I would want to enter it.
2. Shows an extreme matter. ～くらいなら～ほうがましだ = “rather…than…”. However, it should be understood that both actions are unfavorable. It’s just you say that you’d rather do the latter.
58. 降参するぐらいなら死んだ方がましだ。
I’d rather die than surrender.
59. 君を捨てるぐらいなら死んだ方がましだ。
I would rather die than abandon you.
60. 期日に遅れるくらいなら、徹夜をして完成させた方がましだ。
I would rather have it completed overnight than be late to the deadline.
Phrase Note: ましになる is used to show that something is improving, but it’s not fully good. As such, it’s not really appropriate to a lot of people to use such a phrase to refer to someone feeling better. However, there are areas like the Kansai Region where it is rather common.
61. 痛みがましになる。
The pain improved.
62. 通りから広場に出たところで、少し混雑がましになった。
As I entered into the plaza from the street, the traffic got a little better.
From 野生の風 by 村山由佳.
3. ～くらい～はない shows something being the most….
63. 彼くらい努力する人はいません。
There is no person putting effort into it than him.
64. 地震｛ほど・くらい｝怖いものはない。
There’s nothing as scary as an earthquake.
4. ～くらいで gives that the feeling that something is at a small amount or significance. It is often used in suggesting or belittling something.
65. テストが悪かったぐらいで、泣かないで。(Casual)
Don’t cry over a doing bad on a test.
66. スペイン語習ったことはあるけど、ちょっとしゃべれるようになったぐらいでやめてちゃったんで、本を読めるようにはならんかった。 (すごく砕けた言い方)
I’ve studied Spanish, but I quit when I became able to speak it, so I didn’t end up becoming able to read a book.
67. このレッスンはやさしいから、ちょっと練習するくらいで、終わりましょう。
Since this lesson is easy, let’s end with a little practice.