〜ほど…はないほどはない

ほどはないhodo wa naineutral

savor + nothing is as … as X — denies that anything reaches the benchmark

ajiwau koto hodo tsurai koto wa nai

nothing is as … as X — denies that anything reaches the benchmark

meaning: there is nothing as hard as savoring

Related

  • 味あじわう
  • 〜ことほどつらいことはない
  • 味あじわうことほどつらいことはない

私わたしには、返事へんじを味あじわうことほどつらいことはない。

watashi ni wa, henji o ajiwau koto hodo tsurai koto wa nai.

For me, there is nothing as hard as savoring for a reply. neutral

田中たなかさんくらい面倒見めんどうみのいい先輩せんぱいはいないと思おもう。

tanaka-san kurai mendoumi no ii senpai wa inai to omou.

I don't think there's a senior as good at looking after people as Tanaka. casual

All examples5

nothing is as … as — the benchmark is unmatched, stated for emphasis

  1. 私わたしには、返事へんじを待まつことほどつらいことはない。

    watashi ni wa, henji o matsu koto hodo tsurai koto wa nai.

    For me, there is nothing as hard as waiting for a reply. neutral

  2. 田中たなかさんくらい面倒見めんどうみのいい先輩せんぱいはいないと思おもう。

    tanaka-san kurai mendoumi no ii senpai wa inai to omou.

    I don't think there's a senior as good at looking after people as Tanaka. casual

  3. 夏なつの朝あさの散歩さんぽほど気持きもちのいいものはありません。

    natsu no asa no sanpo hodo kimochi no ii mono wa arimasen.

    There's nothing as pleasant as a walk on a summer morning. neutral

  4. 待またされることくらい嫌いやなことはないよ。

    matasareru koto kurai iya na koto wa nai yo.

    There's nothing I hate more than being kept waiting. casual

  5. 現場げんばの声こえほど確たしかな資料しりょうはございません。

    genba no koe hodo tashika na shiryou wa gozaimasen.

    There is no more reliable material than what we hear on the ground. formal

How it's formed4

All forms2

  • くらいkuraialternant

    the spoken swap — 彼かれくらい親切しんせつな人ひとはいない; ほど is the one that carries into writing and into a fixed claim.

  • ぐらいguraialternant

    the voiced spelling of the same swap, and the commoner one in speech — 母ははぐらい料理りょうりの上手じょうずな人ひとはいない.

Notes

A bare noun plus くらい is the minimizing "at least" instead (電話でんわくらい
してよ); the superlative needs a modified head noun between くらい and はない.