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N1

にもほどがある

There is a limit to, You are too ..., How …!, How … one can be!

お前まえまたぶっ倒たおれるまで飲のみ続つづけたの?飲のみ過すぎにも程ほどがあるよ。

You drank until you blacked out again? There is a limit to drinking too much you know.

Explanation

「にもほどがある」 means 'there is a limit even to ...', and expresses anger, criticism or sarcasm at someone going too far.

Examples: 「冗談にもほどがある」 (There's a limit to joking), 「嘘をつくにもほどがある」 (There's a limit to lying).

It usually follows negative or outrageous words such as 図々しい, ばかばかしい and わがまま.

It is mostly used in conversation, to protest, question or let off steam face to face.

Mixed up with

It follows a word, and the ending is fixed as 「〜にもほどがある」 (also written 「程がある」).

Literally 'even for ..., there is a limit', but in use it says 'this has gone completely past the limit and is unreasonable'.

Examples

  1. ここぞという時ときに頼たよりにならないなんて、リーダーとして頼たよりないにもほどがある。

    Letting us down just when it matters? As a leader, he's unreliable beyond belief.

  2. なんだこれは!店みせ出だせるほどの美味おいしさじゃん!うまいにも程ほどがあるだろ。

    What the heck is this!? This is so good you can open a restaurant! There is a limit to how good it can be!

  3. ん?熊くまがエイリアンを襲おそったって?!嘘うそをつくにもほどがある!

    Huh? A bear attacked an alien? There is a limit to just how much one can lie.

Tested 3 times in past papers

N1 · Jul 2026, Q34N1 · Dec 2021, Q33N1 · Jul 2013, Q35