KanjiBreakdown

Grammar Point

~ば~ほど

the more ... the more ...

oft. as 〜ば...ほど

the more (one does something)

often ...ば...ほど

Verb ば form + Verb dictionary form + ほど

This structure is used to express that as the degree of one action or state increases, another action or state changes in proportion to it. It translates to 'the more..., the more...'. The same verb or adjective must be used in both parts of the construction.

Verb

For verbs, use the conditional 'ば' form followed by the dictionary form and ほど.

読めば読むほど面白くなります。

The more you read, the more interesting it becomes.

練習すればするほど上手になります。

The more I practice, the better I get.

Note

In this construction, the same verb is repeated twice. The first instance is in the conditional 'ば' form, and the second instance is in the dictionary form followed by ほど. In casual speech, the first part (Verb ば) is sometimes omitted, leaving just 'Verb dictionary form + ほど'.

Adjective + ほど

This structure is used with adjectives to show that a change in quality or degree leads to a proportional change in another state.

い-Adjective

Drop the final い and add ければ, then repeat the full い-adjective followed by ほど.

車は新しければ新しいほど高いです。

The newer the car, the more expensive it is.

食べ物は安ければ安いほどいいです。

The cheaper the food, the better.

な-Adjective

Use the な-adjective stem with なら or であれば, followed by the な-adjective + な and ほど.

部屋は静かなら静かなほど勉強できます。

The quieter the room, the better I can study.

ルールは簡単であれば簡単なほどいいです。

The simpler the rules, the better.