N3 Compound Verbs and Suffixes

~くらい,ぐらい/〜ほど: meaning, usage and examples

~くらい,ぐらい/〜ほど means: to the extent that... / so... that...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. もう一歩いっぽも歩あるけないくらい疲つかれた。

   I was so tired that I couldn't take another step.

2. びっくりするほど、大おおきかった。

   It was so big that it surprised me.

3. 声こえが出でなくなるくらい、カラオケで歌うたいました。

   I sang so much at karaoke that I lost my voice.

4. 目めを開あけられないほど風かぜが強つよかったです。

   The wind was so strong that I couldn't open my eyes.

When to use it

Use くらい (or ぐらい) and ほど to show how far something goes by describing its degree: 泣なきたいくらい痛いたい (so painful I want to cry), 信しんじられないほど安やすい (unbelievably cheap). The part before the pattern describes the extreme level, and the main clause says what reached that level. In English it is usually "so ... that ...".

Nuance

くらい and ぐらい are interchangeable and more conversational. ほど sounds a bit stronger and more written, and it suits big, dramatic degrees. くらい can also downplay something (これくらいできる = I can at least do this much), which ほど does not.

Compare

くらい vs ほど: in most degree sentences both work (死しぬほど / 死しぬくらい疲つかれた). Only ほど works in "not as ... as" comparisons: 今日きょうは昨日きのうほど寒さむくない (today is not as cold as yesterday). Only くらい works for a small minimum: 名前なまえくらい書かけます (I can at least write my name).

Tip: Translate from the main clause first: 足あしが痛いたくなるほど歩あるいた = I walked so much that my feet hurt.