発展 · Unit 41
比較 — 原級同等比較 (as ~ as)
原級同等比較は形容詞・副詞の原級を用いて2つの対象が同じ程度であることを表す表現で、as + 原級 + as の形で使います。否定形の not as/so + 原級 + as は「〜ほど…ではない」の意味で、倍数表現を前に付けると何倍…かも表せます。
概念の説明
原級同等比較は形容詞・副詞の原級を用いて2つの対象が同じ程度であることを表す表現で、as + 原級 + as の形で使います。否定形の not as/so + 原級 + as は「〜ほど…ではない」の意味で、倍数表現を前に付けると何倍…かも表せます。
A. as + 原級 + as — 同じであることを表す基本構文
2つの対象がある性質で同じ程度であることを表すとき、as と as の間に形容詞・副詞の原級をそのまま入れます。形容詞か副詞かは文中での役割で決まり、形は原形そのままです。公式は as + 原級 + as = 〜と同じくらい…な/に。
| 構造 | 例 |
|---|---|
| as + 形容詞 + as | She is as smart as Kevin. |
| as + 副詞 + as | He works as hard as Anna. |
| as + many + 名詞 + as | I have as many books as you. |
| as + much + 名詞 + as | We drink as much water as they do. |
- Anna is as friendly as her sister. (Annaはお姉さんと同じくらい優しいです。)
- Kevin speaks Japanese as fluently as a native. (Kevinはネイティブと同じくらい流暢に日本語を話します。)
- I have as many friends as my brother does. (私は兄と同じくらい友達がいます。)
- We arrived as early as the guests. (私たちはお客さんと同じくらい早く着きました。)
B. not as/so + 原級 + as — 否定同等比較
as ~ as の否定形は not as + 原級 + as または not so + 原級 + as の形で、2つの形の意味は同じです。意味は「〜ほど…ではない」で、結果的にあとの対象がより…であることを遠回しに表現します。
| 形 | 意味 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| not as + 原級 + as | 〜ほど…ではない | He is not as tall as his father. |
| not so + 原級 + as | 〜ほど…ではない (同意) | He is not so tall as his father. |
| 遠回しの強調 | あとがより…であることを示唆 | Today isn't as hot as yesterday. (= 昨日のほうが暑い) |
- This restaurant isn't as expensive as I thought. (このレストランは私が思ったほど高くありません。)
- Anna isn't as tall as her mother. (Annaはお母さんほど背が高くありません。)
- Kevin doesn't work as hard as his colleagues. (Kevinは同僚ほど一生懸命働きません。)
- The exam wasn't as difficult as I expected. (試験は私が予想したほど難しくありませんでした。)
C. 倍数表現 — twice as / three times as / half as
as ~ as の前に倍数表現を付けると、何倍…かを表せます。2倍は twice、3倍以上は数字 + times、半分は half で表現し、いずれも as + 原級 + as の前に来ます。
| 倍数表現 | 意味 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| twice as ~ as | 2倍…な | This is twice as big as that. |
| three times as ~ as | 3倍…な | He earns three times as much as I do. |
| half as ~ as | 半分だけ…な | Her room is half as big as mine. |
| as ~ as possible | できるだけ…に | Come as soon as possible. |
- My car is twice as fast as his. (私の車は彼のより2倍速いです。)
- Anna earns three times as much as her sister. (Annaはお姉さんの3倍稼ぎます。)
- Kevin's apartment is half as expensive as mine. (Kevinのアパートは私のものの半額です。)
- Please reply as soon as possible. (できるだけ早くお返事ください。)
重要ポイント
- 1as ~ as の間には形容詞・副詞の原級(元の形)が入り、比較級(-er)や最上級(-est)は使いません。(例: as tall as / X: as taller as)
- 2as many + 可算複数名詞 + as、as much + 不可算名詞 + as の形で数・量の比較も as ~ as 構文で処理できます。(例: I have as many books as you.)
- 3否定形は not as ~ as と not so ~ as の両方が使われ意味は同じですが、会話では not as ~ as がよく使われます。(例: He isn't as tall as his father.)
- 4two times ではなく twice、それ以外の倍数は数字 + times で表し、すべて as + 原級 + as の前に来ます。(例: twice as big as / three times as much as)
- 5as soon as possible・as much as possible のように as ~ as possible は「できるだけ…に」という慣用表現で、会話・メールでよく使われます。
例文
Kevin is as tall as his older brother.
Kevinはお兄さんと同じくらいの背丈です。
Anna is as friendly as her sister.
Annaはお姉さんと同じくらい優しいです。
She runs as fast as any athlete in her class.
彼女はクラスのどの選手にも劣らないくらい速く走ります。
This coffee is as sweet as hot chocolate.
このコーヒーはホットチョコレートと同じくらい甘いです。
Today is as cold as yesterday morning.
今日は昨日の朝と同じくらい寒いです。
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こんな間違いに注意
Kevin is as tall as his brother.
She runs as fast as Anna.
I have as many books as you.
This is twice as big as that.
Please reply as soon as possible.