Grammar Info
N3 Lesson 2: 5/22

程(ほど)
the more・about, to the extent that, so much… that

Structure
Verb + ほど
[い]Adjective + ほど
[な]Adjective + + ほど
Noun + ほど
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
ほど, coming from the kanji 程(ほど) ‘an extent’, is used for describing rough estimates about the ‘amount’ of something. However, unlike expressions such as くらい (which focuses more on the speaker’s uncertainty about the exact number), ほど puts emphasis on the upper (or lower) limit of something as having been ‘reached’. Due to this, it is usually translated as ‘so much that (A)’, or ‘to the extent that (A)’.
ほど can be added on to the end of the 連体形(れんたいけい) (attributive form) of any word. The 連体形(れんたいけい) being the form that is able to be partnered directly with nouns.
  • 死(し)ぬほど練習(れんしゅう)したけれど、試合(しあい)出(で)られなかった
    I practiced myself to death, but I was not able to enter the tournament.
  • その気持(きも)ちは痛(いた)いほど分(わか)かるけど、だからってそういう事(こと)言(い)ってもいいと言(い)う訳(わけ)では無(な)いよ。
    I understand how you feel to the point that it hurts, but that doesn't mean that you can say stuff like that.
  • それは嫌(いや)なほど聞(き)かされたから、分(わ)かってる。
    I have been told that so much that I don't want to hear it anymore, I get it.
  • あと10分(ぷん)ほど着(つ)きます。
    I will be there in about 10 minutes.
Caution
Although くらい may be used to describe something that is ‘around’ a certain extent (regardless of whether it is above or below that extent), 程(ほど) refers specifically to the ‘limit’ of something, and therefore cannot be used to describe something that exceeds the stated limit. Due to this, it is regularly used to express some sort of exaggerated limit of (A), when the real extent is far below that.
  • 今日(きょう)は二度(にど)と走(はし)りくないほど走(はし)った。
    Today, I ran so much that I never want to run again.
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ピンが落(お)ちた音(おと)が聞(き)こえるほど静(しず)かだった。
It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
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二度(にど)と食(た)べたくないほどピザ食(た)べた
I ate pizza to the extent that I don't ever want to eat it again.
二度と + negative verb means "never again"
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わがままと言(い)うほど甘(あま)やかしている。
I am spoiling her/him to the extent that people would say she/he's selfish.
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Books
Tobira
Page 236
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 135
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 254
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 188