より and ほど

Core meaning and form

Use A より B のほうが adjective for “B is more … than A”; use negative + ほど for “not as … as.” Do not force English adjective morphology onto the Japanese adjective.

• Form: Use A より B のほうが adjective for “B is more … than A”; use negative + ほど for “not as … as.”
• Core use: より marks the comparison standard, while ほど sets an extent or upper benchmark.
• Context: Do not force English adjective morphology onto the Japanese adjective.

Examples in context

Common errors

• Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
• Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.

Quick summary

• Use A より B のほうが adjective for “B is more … than A”; use negative + ほど for “not as … as.”
• より marks the comparison standard, while ほど sets an extent or upper benchmark.
• Do not force English adjective morphology onto the Japanese adjective.