Grammar JLPT Level N3 - Lesson 5
Structure of ば~程(ほど):
(Verb[ば])+ Verb [る](*) + ほど
([い]Adjective[ば])+ [い]Adjective(*) + ほど
([な]Adjective + なら(ば))+ [な]Adjective(*) + な + ほど
([な]Adjective + であれば)+ である + ほど
(Noun + なら(ば))+ Noun(*) + ほど
(Noun + であれば)+ である + ほど
(*) The same Adjective, Verb or Noun has to be repeated
Details about ば~程(ほど):
ば~ほど is a combination of the conjunction particle ば, and the noun ほど. It is used in a similar way to 'the more ~ the more' in English. Literally, it just highlights that 'if it is (A), then the limit of (A) will be controlled only by its extent'.
To use ば~ほど, ば will be paired with the hypothetical form of any verb/い-Adjective (or noun/な-Adjective with なら on the end), before the same word will be repeated in its attributive form. After this, a (B) part of the sentence will highlight what the expected result of (A) is.
To use ば~ほど, ば will be paired with the hypothetical form of any verb/い-Adjective (or noun/な-Adjective with なら on the end), before the same word will be repeated in its attributive form. After this, a (B) part of the sentence will highlight what the expected result of (A) is.
- いい肉は噛めば噛むほど味が出る。The more you chew good meat, the more flavorful it gets.
- 公園は広ければ広いほどいい。The bigger the park is, the better it is.
- ビルは丈夫ならば丈夫なほど安心できる。The stronger a building is, the safer you feel.
- プロならばプロほど速く泳げる。The more of a pro you are, the faster you can swim.
- アプリが便利であれば便利であるほどユーザーが増える。The more useful an app is, the more users will increase.
- 職人であれば職人であるほど凄いものが作れる。The more of a craftsman a person is, the more likely that they will be able to make something amazing.
ば~程(ほど)
Usage Notes for ば~程(ほど):
When this expression is used with する verbs, the noun that する is linked to in the ば part of the sentence does not need to be repeated in the ほど part.
- 漢字の勉強をすればするほど色んな本が読めるようになる。The more you study kanji, the more you will be able to read various books.
- 掃除をすればするほど、部屋が綺麗になっていく。The more you clean, the cleaner your room will get.
Synonyms for ば~程(ほど):
どんどん
Progressively, Rapidly increasing, More and more
ば
If… then, (Conditional)
一方だ
More and more, Continue to, Keep on, -er and -er
ますます
Increasingly, More and more, Decreasingly, Less and less, Keep -ing
ほど
The more, About, To the extent that, So much… that
Example of ば~程(ほど)
この豆を食べれば食べるほど痩せるらしい。
I hear that the more of these beans you eat the thinner you will become.
早ければ早いほどいい。
The sooner the better.
綺麗ならば綺麗なほど見続けたくなる。
The more beautiful it is, the more I want to continue looking at it.
スーパーは近ければ近いほど買い物に行きやすい。
The closer the supermarket, the easier it is to go shopping.
勝てば勝つほど、またやりたくなる。
The more you win, the more you want to play again.
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