Meaning of ほど?

[shanks8812]

i dont understand what does ほど mean, there is only one usage i know of it:
会は面白ければ面白いほどあんたは楽しむ = the more interesting the meeting will be, the more you will enjoy.
but i dont understand the meaning of ほど in the next sentence:
彼は疲れているほど忙しい = he is so busy that he is tired
why does it work like that? ofc i can just copy the pattern in this example, but i want to understand WHY and i saw a lot of other usages for ほど, for exapmle:
先ほどから何度かメールや電話をしています = I have emailed and called several times since a while ago.
i dont understad what part does ほど fulfill in this sentence, how does he contribute in this Sentence?
appreciate every response, thank you.

[x90PT]

彼は疲れているほど忙しい

He’s so busy (to the extent) that he’s tired

先ほど is a word in itself, meaning a short while ago, just now etc.

先ほどから is an expression, meaning since some time ago = 先ほど + から (correction from @pm215 )

It’s a bit hard to parse the sentences in the beginning, but ほど explains the extent and limits of something usually.

[nemurineko]

@x90PT

He’s so busy (to the extent) that he’s tired

This is a good explanation.

If you need more help to get a feeling for this, you might want to dip into Jay Rubin’s book, as discussed in an earlier thread:

@ShonanBoy

might enjoy reading Jay Rubin’s book, “Making Sense of Japanese: What the Textbooks Don’t Tell You.” Rubin is one of Murakami Haruki’s translators. “Making Sense” is a straightforward and pleasant explanation of issues that Japanese learners often find difficult or counter-intuitive.

@nemurineko

There is a wonderful chapter called “The Johnny Carson Hodo”, which you may not appreciate unless you’re old enough to remember the Johnny Carson show. If you struggled with hodo sentences before, this will finally make them clear to you.

[trunklayer]

Maybe, this extract from Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar would help?

[pembo]

WaniKani, a kanji learning application by Tofugu

is this the same thing?

[x90PT]

Yes, it’s the same thing.

[x90PT]

まだ夜明けまでは一時間程あったが、驚く程青い目をした男は既に起床し、珈琲を作り始めていた。

It was still an hour before dawn, but a guy with startling blue eyes already had gotten up and was making coffee.

A more direct translation would be to the effect of “the span of one hour”

[pm215]

@x90PT

先ほどから is also a word, meaning since some time ago

I think most people would say that 先ほど is a word, but 先ほどから is an expression (word 先ほど plus particle から, meaning derived from the two parts).

[x90PT]

Yes, ofcourse. Wrote it in a rush. But yes, you’re right.