hanamaru
Say one thing is not as much as another
Use this to say one thing is not as much as another.
A is not as [adjective/verb] as B
ほど marks the thing being compared against, and the predicate is always negative, giving the meaning not as ... as. Because the verb or adjective is negated, you never state the actual degree, only that it falls short. It is a softer, more roundabout way to compare than saying which side is bigger outright.
Tips and Common Traps
This is a polite, indirect way to compare — instead of saying 'A is smaller than B', you say 'A is not as big as B'. Japanese often prefers this softer framing, especially when the gap might be sensitive.
In this comparison the predicate has to be negative: 東京は大阪ほど暑くない works, 東京は大阪ほど暑い does not. ほど has other jobs elsewhere — it is the A は B ほど comparison that only exists negated.