19.

5 Formal Ring Yori Hodo Language & Culture Lessons

It's getting late and you have work tomorrow. After today's lesson you will be an expert at respectively and
politely leaving a Japanese home…

Language Lesson
１．よ　り

a) より : Particle of Comparison

より is the particle of comparison, and corresponds to English expression such as "than" or "rather than."

When used comparing two items, the item preceding the particle より is the lesser of the two.

We have two languages to compare: "Japanese" and "English". Which one is harder?

Any English speaker would answer...

にほんご は えいご より むず(つ)かしい。 Japanese is harder than English.

⽇本語 は 英語 より 難しい。
Nihongo wa Eigo yori muzu(tsu)kashī.

** Notice that the above compares the difficulty between Japanese and English. The particle Yori comes right after the
word for "English" which is えいご because "English" is less difficult, or easier, than Japanese.

If the opposite was true, then you would say:

英語 は ⽇本語 より 難しい English is harder than Japanese.

Eigo wa Nihongo yori muzu(tsu)kash ī.

The particle Yori can also indicate that the noun or verb which it attaches to shows the measure for comparison:

沖縄 は 東京 より 暑い。 Okinawa is warmer than Tokyo.

-
Okinawa wa Tōkyō yori atsui.

電⾞ で ⾏く ほう が 歩いて いく より 早い。 Going by train is faster than going by bus.

-
Densha de iku hō ga aruite iku yori hayai.

b) より : The Formal equivalent of から

より is also used to mean "from" in relation to a point in space or time, similar to から but more formal.

On a train platform in Japan, you will surely hear the train attendant courteously remind the passengers to stand
away from the approaching train by saying...

黄⾊い 線 より 内側 に 下がって ください。 Please step back [from] behind the yellow line.
-
Kiiroi sen yori uchigawa ni sagatte kudasai.
Where is the Hotel? - You ask at an Information desk, and the girl behind the desk politely answers...

ホテル は 駅 の 南⼝ より あるいて ⼗分 です。 The hotel is 10 minutes on foot FROM the South-exit of
- the station.
Hoteru wa eki no Minami-guchi YORI aruite jyupun
desu.

Like から, より indicates the point of time from which an action commences, but より has a more formal or official
sound to it.

You may hear it used in place of から in formal situations:

At a movie premier...

ただいま より、えいが が はじまり ます。 The movie will now commence.

只今 より、映画 が 始まり ます。
Tadaima yori, eiga ga hajimari masu.

At a company...

かいぎ は さんじ より おこなわれる。 The meeting will be held from 3 o'clock.

会議 は 三時 より ⾏われる。
Kaigi wa sanji yori okonawareru.

2．ほ　ど

a) ほど　: "Not as... as ...."

ほど is used to indicate that one item is lesser in some way than another.

The greater of the two is followed by Hodo - in contrast to Yori , which follows the lesser, and the verb which comes
after Hodo is generally in the negative.

Hodo often follows nouns, but it can also follow verbs.

"Not as ~ as ~ "

先⽣ ほど ⽇本語 が うまくない。 My Japanese is NOT AS good AS my teacher's.

-
Sensē HODO nihongo ga umaku nai.

The particle hodo + negative expression indicates that the preceding noun or verb shows the "standard" of negative
comparison.

思っていた ほど 寒くありません。 It's NOT AS cold AS I thought [it would be].

-
Omotte ita hodo samuku arimasen.

b) ほど　: "Do so [much] of ... "

ほど indicates the degree of extent to which an action is carried out, usually an extreme degree.
Plain Affirmative form of verb + hodo =
"Do so [much] of [an action] that [something occurs as a consequence]"

死ぬ ほど 疲れた。 I'm so tired that I think I'll die [I am dead tired].

-
Shinu hodo tsukareta.

涙が でる ほど 笑う。 I laugh so much it makes me cry.

-
Namida ga deru hodo warau.

痛い ほど 君 が すき！ I like you so much, it hurts!

-
Itai hodo kimi ga suki!

もっと 知る ほど 嫌い に なる。 The more I know [about it], the more I dislike it.
-
Motto shiru hodo kirai ni naru.

Plain Negative form of verb (~Nai form) + hodo =

"Do so [much] of [an action] that you can't do ... "

動けない ほど 混んでいる。 It's so crowded, that you can hardly move.

-
Ugokenai hodo konde iru.

閉まらない ほど 詰め込む。 I over-stuff [it] so that [it] doesn't shut.

-
Shimaranai hodo tsume-komu.

信じられない ほど 嬉しい。 I'm so happy, that I can't believe it. OR, I can't believe
- how happy I am.
Shinjirarenai hodo ureshii.

眠れない ほど 痛い。 It hurts so much [that] I can't sleep.

-
Nemurenai hodo itai.

c) ほど　: "Approximately"

ほど indicates an approximate amount of time, with the slight implication that the figure given is the maximum.

"Approximately" with a formal ring:

⼆⼗分 ほど 遅れます。 I will be about 20 minutes late.

-
Nijyu-pun hodo okuremasu.

五分 ほど お待ち ください。 Please wait approximately 5 minutes.

-
Go-fun hodo omachi kudasai.

d) ほど　used with a Conditional ば or たら

ほど when used with a conditional, can express something like "the more you [do the action], the more [something
happens]."

The pattern is:

Verb in Conditional ば or たら form + Same verb in Plain form + ほど

[Conditional BA of verb] + followed immediately by [same verb + Hodo]

⾷べれば + ⾷べる ほど The more you eat, the more ...

-

勉強 すれば + 勉強 する ほど The more you study, the more ...

-

[Conditional TARA of verb] + followed immediately by [same verb + Hodo]

歩いたら + 歩く ほど The more I walk, the more ...

-
Aruitara + aruku hodo

寝たら + 寝る ほど The more I sleep, the more ...

-
Netara + neru hodo

So, if you wanted to say that the more you eat something, it gets tastier...

⾷べれば ⾷べる ほど 美味しく なる。 The more you eat, the tastier it becomes.
-
Tabereba taberu hodo oishiku naru. [Lit: "If you eat, to
the extent that you eat, it becomes tasty."]

Or with a Tara conditional phrase, what usually happens when you sleep a lot?
The more you sleep the more...

寝たら 寝る ほど もっと 眠たく なる。 The more you sleep, the sleepier you become.
-
Netara neru hodo motto nemutaku naru. [Lit: "If you
sleep, to the extent that you sleep, you become sleepier."]

e) Set Expressions with ほど　

ほど written 程 in Kanji by itself means "moderation" or "a limit":

程 が ある。 There is a limit [to things]

-
Hodo ga aru.

And here are some examples using the expression　ほど　が　ある / Hodo ga aru :

何 でも 物事 に は 程 が ある。 There is a limit to everything.

-
Nan demo mono goto ni wa hodo ga aru.

我慢 に も 程 が ある。 There is a limit to how much one can put up with.

-
Gaman ni mo hodo ga aru.
Culture
花より男⼦
There is a popular Japanese Manga titled "Boys Over Flowers," and written with the Japanese Kanji's and Hiragana: 花
より男⼦ - this is actually a pun on the well-known Japanese saying "Sweet dumplings over Flowers" written 花より団
⼦.

団⼦·だんご (Dango) meaning "sweet dumplings" in the Japanese saying is replaced with a different set of characters,
also pronounced "Dango," which mean boy 男⼦.

The original idiom emphasizes choosing practical things such as food over aesthetics, like flowers...

花より団⼦ "Sweet dumplings rather than Flowers"

Hana yori dango

This Japanese proverb uses the expression of comparison that we learned in the Grammar section of this lesson - より
(yori).

花より団⼦ (Hana yori dango)implies that flowers may be beautiful, but they won't fill your stomach like sweet
dumplings do.

It also means eating dumplings or any other kind of sweets to our hearts
content is better than viewing cherry blossoms - signifying the appreciation of something "beautiful" to fill our

appetite rather than something "beautiful" to our eyes.

花より団⼦ "Sweets Over Flowers" is used in reference to someone who has a poor appreciation for aesthetically
beautiful and elegant things.

This saying - 花より団⼦ - originates in the Japanese custom of going flower viewing or 花⾒ (hanami) every spring.
Though the purpose is to view the cherry-blossoms, the people often seem to be more interested in eating foods and
drinking alcohol rather than simply appreciating the beauty of the flowers.

You could say that 花より団⼦ illustrates a part of human nature.

Let me illustrate a scene in which this Japanese proverb may be used.

Two colleagues are at an お花⾒·おはなみ (Ohanami)...

One colleague Tanaka-san is fascinated by the flowers and comments...

きれいですね
(Kirei desu ne!)
"They are so beautiful, don't you agree?"

Our second colleague Kikuchi-san notices the cherry blossoms for the first time and says...
え、あ、そうですね。。。
(E..a…so desu ne...)
"Oh, ah, yes, they certainly are, aren't they?"

And proceeds to ask Tanaka-san...

もっと、ビールは、いかがですか？
(Motto biiru, ikaga desu ka?)
"Would you like more beer?"

Tanaka-san smiles – and says to Kikuchi-san...

菊池さんは、花より団⼦ですね！
(Kikuchi-san wa Hana yori dango desu ne!)
"You like sweets better than cherry blossoms!"

And Kikuchi-san – quite ashamed responds with...

あ、どうも。。。すみません。
(A, dōmo…sumimasen.)
"Oh… I'm sorry"

Libros Media Ltd. - Copyright 2004-2014

USA: 10660 Page Avenue, PO Box 1261, Fairfax, VA 22038, USA | Phone: 703-349-0452
Asia/Pacific: 2-1008 Ferry Road, Woolston, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand | Phone: +64-3-384-6350