〜ほど / 〜しか〜ない

Degree & limitation — as much as / only

'Not as hard as I thought.' 'I only have 500 yen.' ほど expresses extent or comparison; しか expresses surprising limitation.

What you'll learn

• 〜ほど: as much as / to the extent of (degree expression)
• 〜しか〜ない: only ~ / nothing but ~ (with negative verb)
• Distinguish ほど (comparison/degree) from しか (limitation)

JLPT N4 Japanese self-study — interactive practice, instant feedback, completely free.