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N3
〜ば〜ほど
Meaning
Repeats the same verb or adjective in the pattern 「〜ば」+「〜ほど」 to express that as the degree of one thing increases, another changes in proportion to it. Verbs take the form 「読めば読むほど」, i-adjectives 「近ければ近いほど」, and na-adjectives 「簡単なら簡単なほど」 or 「簡単であればあるほど」. The 「ば」 part can be omitted, so that 「〜ほど」 alone expresses the same proportional meaning.
Examples
- この小説は読めば読むほど面白くなる。 The more you read this novel, the more interesting it becomes.
- 駅に近ければ近いほど、家賃は高くなる。 The closer a place is to the station, the higher the rent becomes.
- 操作は簡単なら簡単なほど使いやすい。 The simpler the operation is, the easier it is to use.
- 説明は具体的であればあるほど分かりやすい。 The more specific an explanation is, the easier it is to understand.
- この問題は考えるほど分からなくなる。 The more you think about this problem, the less you understand it.