あの放火
事件
は、街
全体
がパニックになるほど恐
ろしかった。
That arson attack was so horrific that the whole town went into a panic.
Right, so ほど (hodo) is a wicked bit of kit. You’re gonna use it to show a degree or an extent. It’s like sayin’ ‘to the extent that…’ or ‘so much so that…’ It can also be used to make comparisons, kinda like ‘as…as’ or ‘the more…the more…’. It’s super handy when you’re tryin’ to big something up or describe how much of a nightmare a situation is. You can use it to talk about how much something has changed, how bad something is, or even how good something is. It’s a real versatile word, so you need to wrap your head around it.
Alright, pay attention. This ain’t rocket science, but you need to know how to connect it properly.
| Conjugation | Japanese Example | English |
| Verb (dictionary form) + ほど | あの野郎 は、俺 のシマに入 ってくるなと警告 するほど脅威 だ。 | That bastard is such a threat that I’ve warned him not to enter my turf. |
| い-adjective + ほど | 借金 の取 り立 ては、奴 が泣 きながら金 を出 すほどキツかった。 | The debt collection was so tough that the bloke cried while paying up. |
| な-adjective + なほど | このハコは秘密 がばれないほど安全 だ。 | This hideout is so safe that our secrets won’t get found out. |
| Noun + ほど | その犯罪 は、一生 刑務所 から出 られないほど重 い罪 だ。 | That crime is so severe that you won’t be able to get out of prison for the rest of your life. |
When you’re connectin’ ほど (hodo), you’re pretty much slappin’ it on the end of a dictionary-form verb or an adjective. If you’re using a な-adjective, you gotta remember to chuck that な in there, see? Don’t forget that, or you’ll sound like a proper melt. For a noun, it’s just the noun and then ほど (hodo). Simple as that. It’s used to give a clearer picture of the scale of things.
Think of ほど (hodo) like a volume dial on a sound system. You can crank it right up to eleven to show how loud somethin’ is, or you can turn it right down to show how quiet it is. The dial represents the degree or extent of whatever you’re talkin’ about. ほど (hodo) is the little mark on the dial that shows you exactly where you’ve set the volume. You use it to show just how far you’ve turned that knob.
Right, here’s a few bits of new lingo for you.
報復 (ほうふく)
English: Retaliation.
Look, someone does you wrong, yeah? They cross you, they take what’s yours, or they disrespect the manor. You don’t just stand there and take it, bruv. You gotta make ’em pay. 報復 is about getting your own back, hitting ’em where it hurts. It’s the old eye-for-an-eye business. You gotta show ’em there are consequences for their actions, you know? It’s about sending a message.
素人 (しろうと)
English: Amateur; layman; novice.
You got your pros and you got your 素人. A 素人 is someone who ain’t got a clue what they’re doin’. They’re clumsy, they’re clueless, and they’re always makin’ a mess of things. They don’t know the rules, they don’t know the game. They’re just civilians, basically. You don’t trust a 素人 with a job that needs to be done right. They’re a liability, innit?
交渉 (こうしょう)
English: Negotiation; bargaining.
You got two parties, yeah? Both want somethin’ different. 交渉 is the talkin’ part. You’re sittin’ down, you’re layin’ out your terms, and you’re tryin’ to get the best deal for yourself. It’s not about bein’ all buddy-buddy; it’s about bein’ smart. You gotta know when to give a little and when to stand your ground. It’s how the deals get made, how the problems get sorted without a proper dust-up. It’s all about the finesse.
警備 (けいび)
English: Security; guard.
You got somethin’ valuable, you gotta protect it, yeah? That’s what 警備 is for. It’s the security, the geezers standin’ watch over the stash, the club, the front door. They’re the muscle, the eyes and ears that make sure no one’s tryin’ to snake what’s yours. Good 警備 means no one gets in who ain’t supposed to, and everything stays locked down tight. It’s the last line of defence.
酷い (ひどい)
English: Terrible; awful; severe.
When somethin’ is 酷い, it’s more than just bad. It’s a disaster. It’s when a plan goes completely sideways, a deal gets double-crossed, or someone takes a beatin’ that’s proper nasty. It’s not just a little problem; it’s a massive screw-up. It’s the kind of thing that makes you shake your head and say, ‘that’s proper 酷い.’ It’s when things are just messed up beyond repair.
Here’s a few examples to get your head ’round this grammar. Don’t be a div, read ’em properly.
今日
の交渉
は、みんながイライラして喧嘩
するほど難
しかった。
Today’s negotiations were so difficult that everyone got annoyed and started a fight.
あの店
の警備
は、素人
でも簡単
に金
を盗
めるほどゆるい。
The security at that shop is so lax that even an amateur could easily nick money.
盗
まれたダイヤは、世界中
のギャングが欲
しがるほど価値
があった。
The stolen diamond was so valuable that gangs from all over the world wanted it.
あいつの嘘
は、俺
の顔
にパンチを食
らわすほど腹立
たしかった。
That geezer’s lie was so infuriating that I wanted to punch him in the face.
あいつは、電話
をかける暇
もないほど忙
しそうだった。
He seemed so busy that he didn’t even have time to make a phone call.
その報復
は、奴
が二度
と立
ち上
がれないほど酷
いものだった。
The retaliation was so savage that the bloke will never be able to stand up again.
今回
の強盗
は、警察
が捜査
を諦
めるほど完璧
だった。
This heist was so perfect that the police gave up their investigation.
その裏切
り者
は、組織
が二度
と許
さないほどひどいことをした。
That traitor did something so terrible that the organisation will never forgive him.
その爆発
は、まどガラスがなんキロも離
れた場所
で割
れるほど強力
だった。
The explosion was so powerful that windows shattered several kilometres away.
犯罪
組織
の力
は、政府
が手出
しできないほど巨大
だ。
The criminal organisation’s power is so immense that the government can’t touch it.
Right, that’s your lot. Don’t be a plank, practice this stuff. It’ll make you sound proper smart when you need to be.
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