ば～程
The more…the more
Structure
（［い］Adjective［ば］）+ ［い］Adjective(*) + ほど
（［な］Adjective + なら）+ ［な］Adjective(*) + な + ほど
（［な］Adjective + であれば）+ である + ほど
（Noun + なら）+ Noun(*) + ほど
（Noun + であれば）+ である + ほど
(*) The same Adjective, Verb or Noun has to be repeated
Explanation
The grammar pattern ば～ほど combines the conditional particle ば and the noun ほど. It is used to express a proportional change, equivalent to 'the more ~ the more' in English. It indicates that as one thing (A) increases or intensifies, another thing (B) changes in direct relation to it.
To construct this pattern, ば is added to the conditional form of a verb or い-Adjective (for nouns and な-Adjectives, this is typically なら). This is followed by the same word in its dictionary form (attributive form) and ほど. The final part of the sentence (B) then describes the outcome that corresponds to the change in (A).
- この本は読めば読むほど面白くなる。The more you read this book, the more interesting it becomes.
- 物は安ければ安いほどうれしい。The cheaper things are, the happier I am.
- 図書館は静かならば静かなほど集中できる。The quieter the library is, the more I can concentrate.
- 子供ならば子供ほど寝る時間が必要だ。The younger a child is, the more sleep they need.
For な-Adjectives and nouns, the more formal copula である (the formal equivalent of だ) can be used instead of な or なら. This form is common in writing and more formal speech.
- 問題が複雑であれば複雑であるほど解決が難しい。The more complex a problem is, the harder it is to solve.
- 経験者であれば経験者であるほど給料が高い。The more experienced a person is, the higher their salary.
Caution
When using this pattern with a noun + する verb, the noun part does not need to be said a second time. It is only stated before the first verb with ば.
- ピアノの練習をすればするほど上手になる。The more you practice piano, the better you get.
- 料理をすればするほど、楽しくなっていく。The more you cook, the more fun it becomes.
Fun Fact
Occasionally, the first part of the phrase containing ば can be left out. When this happens, ほど can express the same 'the more ~ the more' meaning by itself.
- 考えるほど、頭がよくなる。The more you think, the smarter you get.
Examples
考えれば考えるほど、分からなくなる。
The more I think about it, the more confused I get.
練習すればする程、上手になりますよ。
The more you practice, the more skilled you will become.
待てば待つほど不安になってくる。
The longer I wait, the more anxious I become.
この曲は、知れば知る程深みが出てくる。
The more you learn about this song, the deeper it becomes.
このアプリは使えば使うほど便利さが分かる。
The more you use this app, the more you realize how convenient it is.
読めば読む程、次の展開が気になる。
The more I read, the more I wonder what will happen next.
走れば走るほど、体が軽く感じられる。
The more I run, the lighter my body feels.
山は高ければ高い程、景色が良くなる。
The higher the mountain, the better the view becomes.
難しければ難しいほど、挑戦したくなる。
The more difficult it is, the more I want to take on the challenge.
安ければ安い程いいですね。
The cheaper the better.
静かならば静かなほど仕事に集中できる。
The quieter it is, the more I can concentrate on my work.
説明は簡単であれば簡単である程、理解しやすい。
The simpler the explanation, the easier it is to understand.