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# ～ほど～ない

This grammar always ends with ない. For example,

> Aの本はBの本ほど多くない。
>
> _A's books are **not as many as** B's books._

# ～のように～

I always see this grammar in positive form. For example,

> Aの本はBの本のように多い。
>
> _A's books are **as many as** B's books._
>
> AはBのように面白い。
>
> _A is **as interesting as** B._

# Problems

However, I got confused when ～のように～ ends with ない. For example,

> Aの本はBの本のように多くない。

Which one is the correct interpretation?

  * X: A's books are **not as many as** B's books.
  * Y: A's books are **as not many (i.e., few) as** B's books.

Generally speaking, how should AはBのようにC **ない** be interpreted?

  * A is **not as C as** B.
  * A is **as not C as** B.
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grammar negation scope
What is the correct interpretation of Aの本はBの本のように多くない?
I think first "Aの本はBの本のように多くない。" is only translated as "A's books are not as
many as B's books." but I noticed that it can be also translated as "A's books
are as not many(few) as B's books."

If you use comma, it may be easier to understand.

"A's books are not as many as B's books." is translated as "Aの本はBの本のように多く、ない。"
and if you use "は" it become clearly the meaning like Aの本はBの本のように多くはない. This
ない is negative for Aの本は. In other words, A is not, how?, like b is
many(Bの本のように多く).

"A's books are as not many(few) as B's books." is translated as
"Aの本は、Bの本のように多くない。" and it means "Aの本はBの本のように少ない。". This ない is negative for
多く. In other words, A is, how?, like b is not many(Bの本のように多くない)

They are summarized as follows: Aの本はBの本のように多くない can be translated as "A is not
as C as B." and "A is as not C as B." but I think "A is not as C as B." is
more common.
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## AはBのようにCない。

I think you could interpret that like this. I thought of a few examples.

> あたしの胸はあなたの胸のように大きくない。
>
> My chest isn't as big as yours.

A isn't as C as B.

> あたしの目はあなたの目のように離れていない。
>
> My eyes aren't as spread out as yours.

A aren't as C as B.

> りんごはオレンジのようにみずみずしくない。
>
> Apples are not as juicy as oranges.

A are not as C as B.

> あたしの髪はあなたの髪のように柔らかくない。
>
> My hair doesn't feel as soft as yours.

A doesn't (feel) as C as B

In this case the Japanese sentence doesn't require the word feel but when
translated to English the word _feel_ is needed to describe what is _soft_.

> かめはうさぎのように速くない
>
> The tortoise is not as fast as the rabbit.

A is not as C as B.

I'm not entirely sure if I am correct but these are a few sentences I came up
with and how I would say them in English.
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AはBのように多くない is ambiguous if it's "A is not as many as B" or "A is as not many
as B". But the former usually takes particle は like AはBのように多く **は** ない.
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> Generally speaking, how should AはBのようにCない be interpreted?

It might depend on the context, but generally speaking, I think it'd be
interpreted as "A is not so C as B" or "Unlike B, A is not C", since the
phrase was used that way in almost all the results when I searched for ["のように
*
くない"](https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%22%E3%81%A8%E5%90%8C%E6%A7%98+*+%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%22&oq=%22%E3%81%A8%E5%90%8C%E6%A7%98+*+%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%22&aqs=chrome..69i57.10511j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=%22%E3%81%AE%E3%82%88%E3%81%86%E3%81%AB+*+%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%22&start=20),
"のように * くありません", etc. For example:

> [「紙タバコ **のように** 煙 **くない**
> 」](http://rocketnews24.com/tag/%E3%81%9F%E3%81%B0%E3%81%93/)  
>  [「マラソン **のように** ツラ **くない** 」](http://www.hanakuro.jp/trend/go-out/20858/)  
>  [「中国人のホテルのフロントは日本 **のように** 厳し **くありません** 」](http://china-
> enhancement.com/toiletsituation/)  
>  [「親鳥の肉は若鶏 **のように** やわらか **くありません** 。」](http://www.kinoshita-
> osaka.com/oyadori.html)  
>  [「タチツボスミレ _のように_ 細か **くありません**
> 。」](http://www.tebamaru.jp/Ozehana/OZESUMIRE-B.html)  
>  [「将来は今 **のように** 働け **ない**
> 。」](http://www.nomu.com/withkids/money/column/yagi/012.html)

These sentences are interpreted as, and you would sound less ambiguous if you
rephrased them (adding a は) as:

> 「紙タバコのように煙く **は** ない」  
>  「マラソンのようにツラく **は** ない」  
>  「中国人のホテルのフロントは日本のように厳しく **は** ありません」  
>  「親鳥の肉は若鶏のようにやわらかく **は** ありません。」  
>  「タチツボスミレのように細かく **は** ありません。」  
>  「将来は今のように **は** 働けない。」

You could also rephrase them this way without changing the meaning much:

> 「紙タバコ **と(は)違い** 、煙くない」  
>  「マラソン **と(は)違って** ツラくない」  
>  「中国人のホテルのフロントは日本 **と(は)異なり** 、厳しくありません」  
>  「親鳥の肉は若鶏 **みたいに** やわらかくありません。」  
>  「タチツボスミレのように細かく **も** ありません。」  
>  「将来は今のように働ける **わけでは** ない。」  
>  etc.

* * *

Some of the few exceptions I could find include:

> [「アップル製品 **のように** 無駄の **ない**
> 、洗練された作品。」](http://top.tsite.jp/entertainment/cinema/i/27702248/)  
>  [「『ひらひら』 **のように** 濁ら **ない**
> 語があるのはなぜ？」](http://www.alc.co.jp/jpn/article/faq/03/180.html)  
>  [「僕 **のように** エロ **くない**
> 紳士には向いてないかもしれませんしね」](http://nomore1set.blog79.fc2.com/blog-entry-99.html)

From the context you can tell that the BのようにCない in these sentences is used to
mean "not C, (just) like B". Interestingly, all these were in a relative
clause (don't ask me why).

* * *

To clearly state "A is as not C as B" or "Like B, A is not C", I think you
could probably say like 「(Aは/も)Bと同じくCない」「Bと同じでCない」「Bと同様Cない」 etc., as in:

> [「このゲームは、お子様の創造力と同じく、ゴールがありません。」](http://makepo.jp/content/column/kids-apps-
> marketing/2014-12-26.html)  
>  [「彼も僕と同じく人気者じゃありません。」](http://www.allnightnippon.com/akihito/old/?line=58)  
>  [「中華そば同様それほどからくありません。」](http://takaiba.net/eat_drink/sinpukusaikan_honten/)
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