Comparison with 比 in Chinese

In Brief

To say that A is more adjective than B, use A 比 B + adjective: 他比我高 means “He is taller than me.” The adjective normally comes directly after the comparison—do not insert the neutral 很 used in ordinary adjective sentences. Add 一点儿, 得多, or 多了 after the adjective to show how large the difference is.

Overview

比 (bǐ) introduces the standard of comparison: the person, thing, place, or time against which something else is measured. English usually changes the adjective or adds “more,” then introduces the benchmark with “than.” Mandarin keeps the adjective unchanged and puts 比 + benchmark before it: 今天比昨天冷 (“Today is colder than yesterday”).

This is a core A2 pattern, useful for comparing height, age, price, speed, distance, weather, preferences, and changing situations. It builds on adjective predicates—sentences in which an adjective describes the subject without a verb meaning “to be.” In 他很高, 高 is the predicate (the part that says something about the subject). In 他比我高, the comparison itself makes 很 unnecessary.

The beginner rule is compact: learn A 比 B + adjective first, then add degree expressions such as “a little” or “much.” Later, the same structure can compare actions, exact quantities, and more complex phrases.

How It Works

The basic pattern

Part	Function	Example
A	the item being described	他
比	introduces the benchmark	比
B	the benchmark	我
adjective	states the difference	高

A + 比 + B + adjective

他比我高。 — He is taller than me.

Mandarin does not require a separate word corresponding to English “is” here. It also does not change 高 into a comparative form: the presence of 比 supplies the comparative meaning.

Both A and B can be nouns, pronouns, time expressions, places, or longer noun phrases:

• 这家饭店比那家便宜。 — This restaurant is cheaper than that one.
• 今年夏天比去年夏天热。 — This summer is hotter than last summer.
• 坐地铁比坐公交车快。 — Taking the subway is faster than taking the bus.

When the shared noun is obvious, it can be left out. In 这个比那个贵, 这个 and 那个 mean “this one” and “that one.”

Why 很 is usually absent

In a neutral description, Mandarin commonly places 很 before an adjective:

• 今天很冷。 — It is cold today.

Here 很 may sound more like a grammatical bridge than strongly stressed “very.” A 比 sentence already has a contrastive structure, so the plain adjective is natural:

• 今天比昨天冷。 — Today is colder than yesterday.
• Not: 今天比昨天很冷。

This does not mean that no adverb can appear before the adjective. 更 (“even more”) and 还 (“even/still more”) are possible because they add a real comparative meaning:

• 今天比昨天更冷。 — Today is even colder than yesterday.
• 这件还比那件贵。 — This one is even more expensive than that one.

For a straightforward comparison, however, A 比 B + adjective is enough. Mandarin does not need 更 merely to translate English “more.”

Showing a small or large difference

A degree complement (a phrase placed after an adjective to show the size of a difference) follows the adjective.

Meaning	Pattern	Example
a little	adjective + 一点儿 / 一些	贵一点儿
much; by far	adjective + 得多	贵得多
much; a lot	adjective + 多了	贵多了

The complete order is:

A + 比 + B + adjective + degree phrase

• 这个比那个贵一点儿。 — This is a little more expensive than that.
• 火车比汽车快得多。 — The train is much faster than the car.
• 北京比上海大多了。 — Beijing is much bigger than Shanghai.

一点儿 and 一些 indicate a modest difference. 得多 and 多了 indicate a large one. Do not put these expressions before the adjective in this pattern.

Giving an exact difference

A measurable difference also follows the adjective. A classifier or unit word identifies what is being counted or measured.

• 姐姐比我大三岁。 — My older sister is three years older than me.
• 这本书比那本便宜十块钱。 — This book is ten yuan cheaper than that one.
• 今天比昨天低五度。 — Today is five degrees colder/lower than yesterday.
• 他比我高十厘米。 — He is ten centimetres taller than me.

The order is adjective + quantity, not quantity + adjective. With age, 大 means “older” and 小 means “younger” in context.

Comparing actions

If the comparison concerns how an action is performed, Mandarin often uses a 得 complement. 得 links a verb to a description of its manner or degree:

A + 比 + B + verb + 得 + adjective

• 他比我跑得快。 — He runs faster than I do.
• 她比我说得清楚。 — She speaks more clearly than I do.
• 弟弟比我睡得晚。 — My younger brother goes to sleep later than I do.

With some verbs, a time or manner word can appear directly before the verb:

• 她比我早到。 — She arrived earlier than I did.
• 我比他先走。 — I am leaving before him.

English often leaves the repeated action unstated after “than”: “She runs faster than me.” Mandarin places the comparison phrase before the action and then states the relevant result or manner.

Negating a comparison

The direct negative form is A 不比 B + adjective:

• 今天不比昨天冷。 — Today is not colder than yesterday.

Be careful: this only denies “colder.” Today could be equally cold or warmer. It does not necessarily mean “less cold.” For the clearer meaning “A is not as adjective as B,” Mandarin commonly uses A 没有 B + adjective:

• 今天没有昨天冷。 — Today is not as cold as yesterday.
• 我没有他高。 — I am not as tall as he is.

The 没有 equivalence pattern belongs to the broader comparison system and is especially useful when an English sentence contains “not as … as.”

Asking comparison questions

Replace the unknown information with a question word or use a choice question:

• 北京和上海，哪个更大？ — Which is bigger, Beijing or Shanghai?
• 他比你高多少？ — How much taller is he than you?
• 今天比昨天冷吗？ — Is today colder than yesterday?
• 这个是不是比那个便宜？ — Is this one cheaper than that one?

In a 吗 question, the word order remains the same as in the statement. The question particle is added at the end.

Examples in Context

Chinese	English	Note
他比我高。	He is taller than me.	Basic adjective comparison
今天比昨天冷。	Today is colder than yesterday.	Comparing times
这个比那个贵一点儿。	This is a little more expensive than that.	Small difference
北京比上海大多了。	Beijing is much bigger than Shanghai.	Large difference
我妹妹比我忙。	My younger sister is busier than I am.	Plain adjective; no 很
这家店比网上便宜一些。	This shop is a little cheaper than online.	一些 softens the difference
新办公室比以前的办公室亮得多。	The new office is much brighter than the old one.	得多 marks a large difference
姐姐比我大三岁。	My older sister is three years older than me.	Exact age difference
蓝色的比黑色的贵五十块钱。	The blue one is fifty yuan more expensive than the black one.	Exact price difference
坐高铁比坐飞机方便。	Taking the high-speed train is more convenient than flying.	Comparing activities
他比我跑得快。	He runs faster than I do.	Verb + 得 complement
她今天比我早到十分钟。	She arrived ten minutes earlier than I did today.	Time difference after 早到
今年的冬天比去年更冷。	This winter is even colder than last winter.	更 emphasizes a further degree
这台电脑不比那台便宜。	This computer is not cheaper than that one.	It may cost the same or more
我的房间没有你的房间大。	My room is not as big as yours.	没有 expresses “not as … as”

Common Mistakes

Adding 很 to the basic comparison

• Wrong: 他比我很高。
• Right: 他比我高。
• Why: 比 already creates a comparison. The neutral 很 used in 他很高 does not belong in the basic comparative pattern.

Copying English “more” with 更 every time

• Awkward as a default: 这个比那个更贵。 when you only mean “This is more expensive than that.”
• Neutral: 这个比那个贵。
• Why: 更 is not required to form a comparative. Use it when “even more” or a further increase is genuinely intended. The sentence with 更 is grammatical, but its emphasis may be stronger than needed.

Putting the degree phrase before the adjective

• Wrong: 这个比那个一点儿贵。
• Right: 这个比那个贵一点儿。
• Why: In this pattern, 一点儿, 得多, 多了, and exact measurements follow the adjective.

Placing 比 after the adjective

• Wrong: 今天冷比昨天。
• Right: 今天比昨天冷。
• Why: Unlike English “colder than yesterday,” Mandarin puts 比 + benchmark before the adjective or action being compared.

Using 不比 when you mean “not as … as”

• Potentially misleading: 我不比他高。
• Clearer: 我没有他高。
• Why: 不比他高 means “not taller than him,” allowing equal height. 没有他高 clearly says that I am shorter.

Omitting 得 in a manner comparison

• Wrong: 他比我跑快。
• Right: 他比我跑得快。
• Why: When 快 describes how he runs, 得 normally links the verb and its manner complement. Fixed combinations such as 早到 follow a different pattern.

Usage Notes

Comparisons depend heavily on context

Mandarin often omits information that both speakers can recover. 这个比那个好 may mean “This one is better than that one,” with the relevant products already visible. The adjective 好 can refer to quality, suitability, taste, or another understood criterion. In important decisions, make the criterion explicit: 这个房间比那个安静 (“This room is quieter than that one”).

一点儿 can soften requests and opinions

After a comparative adjective, 一点儿 literally marks a small difference. It also makes suggestions sound less abrupt:

• 有没有便宜一点儿的？ — Do you have a cheaper one?
• 请说慢一点儿。 — Please speak a little more slowly.

The second sentence has no explicit 比 benchmark; the intended comparison is with the current speed. This kind of implied comparison is extremely common in requests.

比较 is a different word

Although 比较 contains 比, it often functions as an adverb meaning “relatively” or “fairly”:

• 这个问题比较难。 — This question is relatively difficult.

It does not introduce a benchmark in the way 比 does. Compare 这个问题比那个难 (“This question is harder than that one”), where the benchmark is stated.

Topic-first word order is common

A speaker may set the topic first and put the comparison inside the comment:

• 这两个城市，北京比上海冷。 — As for these two cities, Beijing is colder than Shanghai.

This is especially natural when choosing between a small set of known options. Beginners can continue using the basic pattern; the topic simply supplies context around it.

Beyond the Basics

You do not need to master all of these patterns at A2, but they explain comparisons you will meet in natural speech and writing.

更 and 还 can build on an established scale

更 often presents a further step: one item is already known to have a quality, and another has it to a greater degree. 还 can add a sense of surprise or “even more than expected.” Their exact force depends on context:

• 这条路很远，那条路更远。 — This road is far; that road is even farther.
• 没想到今天还比昨天热。 — I did not expect today to be even hotter than yesterday.

These words can also occur without 比 when the comparison is already understood.

Comparing several properties

A sentence may compare the same two things on more than one dimension:

• 这套房子比那套大，也更安静。 — This apartment is bigger than that one and also quieter.
• 坐火车比开车快，而且轻松得多。 — Taking the train is faster than driving and much more relaxing.

Once the benchmark is clear, it need not be repeated for every adjective. Repeating it can be useful if the comparison changes or if clarity requires it.

比起 highlights the chosen viewpoint

The pattern 比起 B，A … means “compared with B, A …” and often sets the benchmark as a topic:

• 比起开车，我更喜欢坐火车。 — Compared with driving, I prefer taking the train.
• 比起去年，今年生意好多了。 — Compared with last year, business is much better this year.

This is broader than the beginner A 比 B + adjective pattern and works well when the rest of the sentence is complex.

Comparative meaning without an explicit benchmark

Words such as 更, 一点儿, and 多了 can signal an understood comparison:

• 换个大一点儿的杯子吧。 — Let’s switch to a slightly bigger cup.
• 现在好多了。 — It is much better now.

The missing benchmark might be another cup, the previous situation, or the listener’s expectation. English also allows this kind of omission, but Mandarin uses it especially freely when context is strong.

Comparisons, equality, and superlatives form a larger system

比 expresses inequality in one direction. Related structures handle other relationships:

Relationship	Pattern	Example
A is more adjective than B	A 比 B + adjective	A 比 B 高
A is as adjective as B	A 跟 B 一样 + adjective	A 跟 B 一样高
A is not as adjective as B	A 没有 B + adjective	A 没有 B 高
A is the most adjective	A 最 + adjective	A 最高

Keeping these patterns separate prevents ambiguous negation and makes more complex comparisons easier later.

Practice Tips

1. Build four-part sentences. Pick two familiar people or objects and fill the slots A + 比 + B + adjective. Say five true comparisons, such as 咖啡比茶苦 (“Coffee is more bitter than tea”).
2. Add one degree at a time. Take a basic sentence and expand it: 这个比那个贵 → 贵一点儿 → 贵得多 → 贵五十块钱. This trains the crucial position after the adjective.
3. Contrast description and comparison. Make pairs such as 今天很冷 / 今天比昨天冷. Reading them aloud helps prevent the common habit of carrying 很 into a 比 sentence.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Adjectives with 很 — learn how Mandarin adjectives function as predicates before adding a benchmark.
• Next step: Superlative and Equivalence — compare equality, “not as,” and the highest degree with 一样, 没有, and 最.
• Later development: 越...越 Pattern — express “the more …, the more …” and gradual change.