Japanese with Manga

Not hanging out as much as before with 〜ほど〜ない

Grammar Explanation: Not as much as with 〜ほど〜ない

Ayumu looks over at Kohei, who is in the foreground with his back half turned and answers him with a calm expression.
僕が僕であるために。 » Volume 2 » Page 39

Kohei points out that this is the first time in a while he and Sana have talked this much. Ayumu asks why. Kohei says that between club activities, cram school, and entrance exams, everyone got busy, and they just got together less often.

歩(あゆむ):
「そっかー　確(たし)かに俺(おれ)も中学(ちゅうがく)からなかなか昔(むかし)ほど遊(あそ)べなくなっちゃったもんなー」
“I see. Come to think of it, since middle school I haven't really been able to hang out as much as I used to, either.”
「でもそういうのってちょっと寂(さび)しいよね」
“But that kind of thing is a little lonely, isn't it?”
康平(こうへい):
「まあな」
“I guess.”

Key Points

1昔(むかし)ほど〜ない = “not as much as before”
  • Aほど〜ない means “not as … as A”. Here A is 昔(むかし), “the old days”, so 昔(むかし)ほど遊(あそ)べない means “can’t hang out as much as before”.
  • The comparison is only partial. Ayumu still hangs out with friends, just less often than he used to.
  • ほど needs a negative to make this comparison. Here the negative is the なく in 遊(あそ)べなくなっちゃった.
2遊(あそ)べなくなっちゃった
  • 遊(あそ)べる is the potential form of 遊(あそ)ぶ, “to hang out” or “to play”, so it means “can hang out”.
  • 〜なくなる means “to stop” or “to no longer”. 遊(あそ)べなくなる is “to become unable to hang out”.
  • 〜ちゃった is the casual form of 〜てしまった. It presents the change as something that happened to him, with a touch of regret.
3なかなか with a negative
  • With a negative, なかなか means “not easily” or “hardly”. It softens the statement and adds to the sense that hanging out became difficult.
4Agreeing with a reason with もんなー
  • もん comes from もの and gives a reason. Ayumu offers his own experience to back up what Kohei said: “I’ve been through it too, after all.”
  • The drawn-out なー makes it sound reflective, as if he’s talking partly to himself.
5確(たし)かに and 俺(おれ)も
  • 確(たし)かに means “certainly” or “true”. It shows Ayumu agrees with Kohei’s explanation.
  • 俺(おれ)も means “me too”. Ayumu says he went through the same thing Kohei describes.

Vocabulary

(Certainly)

確(たし)かに agrees that something is true: “certainly” or “that’s true”.

(I)

俺(おれ) means “I” or “me”. Men commonly use it in casual speech, and it sounds rougher and more masculine than 私(わたし) or 僕(ぼく).

(Middle school)

中学(ちゅうがく) is middle school, the three years of school after elementary school in Japan. It is a shortened form of 中学校(ちゅうがっこう).

(Quite)

なかなか means “quite” or “pretty”. With a negative, it means something does not happen easily.

(Long ago)

昔(むかし) is the distant past, or one’s earlier days.

(Extent)

ほど is the degree or extent of something: “about” or “as much as”. 〜ば〜ほど means “the more…, the more…”.

(To play)

遊(あそ)ぶ is to play or have fun. 遊びに来る means to come over to visit.

(To become)

なる is to change into a different state or become something. It also means something turns out a certain way. It is also written 成(な)る.

(Because)

もん ends a sentence to give a reason, often in a childish or pouting tone. It is a casual form of もの.

(That kind of)

そういう describes something like the thing just mentioned.

(A little)

ちょっと describes a small amount or a short time. It also softens a refusal, or calls someone’s attention, like “hey”.

(Lonely)

寂(さび)しい describes feeling lonely or missing someone, or a place that feels empty and desolate. It is also read さみしい.

(Well)

まあ is a soft “well” that eases into what the speaker says, or accepts something half-heartedly. It also shows mild surprise, like “oh my”.

See Also

僕が僕であるために。 © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.