N3 · Expressions (N3)
ば〜ほど: the more, the more
the more one thing, the more another
A word in its ば-form, the same word again, then ほど: as one thing grows, so does another.
English builds "the more you read, the more you understand" by repeating "the more". Japanese repeats the word itself: first in its ば-form, then in its plain form, then ほど. 読めば読むほど分かる is, word for word, "if you read, to the extent that you read, you understand".
Each kind of word has its own shape. A verb goes 読めば読むほど; a する-verb 練習すればするほど; an i-adjective 高ければ高いほど; a na-adjective 便利なら便利なほど, or in careful writing 便利であればあるほど.
The second half must be something that changes by degree: an adjective, a verb of change such as なる, 増える or 分かる, or a judgement such as いい. A single event will not do. The ば half can be dropped altogether, which leaves the compact 早いほどいい, "the sooner the better".
English speakers forget the repetition, or put the polite form inside the pattern. Everything before ほど stays plain; if the sentence is polite, the politeness goes on the verb at the very end.
The form
| verb | 読めば読むほど |
| する-verb | 練習すればするほど |
| i-adjective | 高ければ高いほど |
| na-adjective | 便利なら便利なほど |
| na-adjective (written) | 便利であればあるほど |
| without the ば part | 早いほどいい |
The rules one by one
The ば-form comes first, then the plain form of the same word, then ほど.
練習すればするほど上手になる。The more you practise, the better you get.
An i-adjective uses ければ and then the adjective itself.
部屋は広ければ広いほどいい。The bigger the room, the better.
A na-adjective uses なら and then な, or であればあるほど in writing.
説明は簡単なら簡単なほどいい。The simpler the explanation, the better.
The second half must be something that can grow or shrink by degree.
考えれば考えるほど分からなくなる。The more I think about it, the less I understand.
The ば part can be dropped, leaving just ほど.
返事は早いほどいいです。The sooner you reply, the better.
A closer look
Why the word is said twice
ほど is a noun meaning "extent" or "degree". 読むほど分かる on its own already means "you understand to the extent that you read": more reading, more understanding. The 読めば in front adds the condition, "if you read", and stresses that the second thing depends on the first.
That is why the short form without ば is possible at all, and why it sounds a little more written and compressed. Some combinations have become set phrases in their short form: 早いほどいい, 多いほどいい, 近いほど便利だ.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the word is a noun or a na-adjective in careful writing
であればあるほど replaces なら〜なほど.
問題が複雑であればあるほど、時間がかかる。The more complicated the problem, the longer it takes.
である is the written form of だ, and its ば-form is であれば. Only ある needs to be repeated, so the word itself appears once.
How to spot it
- 〜ば〜ほど
- ければ〜いほど
- なら〜なほど
- すればするほど
- ほどいい
Example sentences
この本は読めば読むほど面白くなる。The more you read this book, the more interesting it gets.
日本語は勉強すればするほど難しく感じる。The more I study Japanese, the harder it feels.
野菜は新しければ新しいほどおいしい。The fresher the vegetables, the better they taste.
駅に近ければ近いほど、家賃は高くなる。The closer to the station, the higher the rent.
会えば会うほど、彼のことが好きになった。The more I saw him, the more I liked him.
子どもへの説明は短いほどいい。When explaining to children, the shorter the better.
8 more example sentences
歩けば歩くほど足が痛くなった。The more I walked, the more my feet hurt.
値段が高ければ高いほど品質がいいとは限らない。A higher price does not always mean better quality.
知れば知るほど、この町が好きになる。The more I get to know this town, the more I like it.
話せば話すほど、緊張が取れていった。The more we talked, the more my nerves settled.
山は高く登れば登るほど寒くなる。The higher you climb a mountain, the colder it gets.
料理は簡単なら簡単なほど助かる。When it comes to cooking, the simpler the better for me.
人が多ければ多いほど楽しい。The more people, the more fun.
年を取れば取るほど、時間が早く過ぎる気がする。The older I get, the faster time seems to pass.
Worth knowing (1)
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ほど alone can carry the idea
In short sentences the ば half is often left out: 多いほどいい, 近いほど便利だ. The meaning is the same; the sentence is tighter and a little more written.
経験は多いほど役に立つ。The more experience you have, the more useful it is.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Everything before ほど is plain, because ほど is a noun of extent and a verb in front of a noun takes the plain form. The politeness of the sentence is carried by the last verb, 分かります, and by nothing else.
Say the word twice, the ba-form first and the plain form second, and end with ほど.
Your turn
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