Expressing "multiples" with "bei"

The word 倍 (bèi) is used to express the idea of multiples, as in "3 times as many" or "5 times as much." Its usage can be a little tricky (different from English), so pay close attention to the pattern below.

Directly Expressing Multiples

Structure

A + 是 + B + 的 + Number + 倍

Examples

• 他 现在 的 工资 是 两 年 前 的 四 倍 。 Tā xiànzài de gōngzī shì liǎng nián qián de sì bèi. His current salary is four times what it was two years ago.
• 公司 现在 的 规模 是 十 年 前 的 五 倍 。Gōngsī xiànzài de guīmó shì shí nián qián de wǔ bèi.The company's current scope is five times what it was 10 years ago.
• 今年 的 产量 是 去年 的 两 倍 。Jīnnián de chǎnliàng shì qùnián de liǎng bèi.This year's output is twice as big as last year.

Expressing "More" with Multiples

This pattern involves an adjective, one of the most common being 多. You'll see other adjectives related to quantity appearing in this pattern as well, such as 大 (big), 贵 (expensive), 高 (tall), 长 (long), etc. In Chinese, it is not common to use the "negative opposite" adjectives in these kinds of comparisons, so you won't normally see the words for small, cheap, short, etc. appearing in this pattern.

Structure

A + 比 + B + Adj. + Number + 倍

The important thing to remember for this pattern is that in English, our comparisons usually involve a direct multiple, whereas in Chinese it's usually a multiple in addition. So while in English we say, "I ate three times as much as you" (3x), in Chinese you say, "I ate as much as you did, plus another 2 times as much" (x + 2x). Pay attention to the examples below and their English translations.

Examples

• 他 现在 的 工资 比 两 年 前 多 了 三 倍 。Tā xiànzài de gōngzī bǐ liǎng nián qián duō le sān bèi.His salary is four times higher now than what it was two years ago.
• 中国 人口 比 美国 人口 多 四 倍 。Zhōngguó rénkǒu bǐ Měiguó rénkǒu duō sì bèi.China's population is four times bigger than America's.
• 他 的 车 比 你 的 车 贵 十 倍 。Tā de chē bǐ nǐ de chē guì shí bèi.His car is ten times more expensive than your car.
• 这个 15 岁 的 男孩 比 一般 的 孩子 重 一 倍 。Zhège 15 suì de nánhái bǐ yībān de háizi zhòng yī bèi.This fifteen-year-old kid weighs double what a normal kid at his age should weigh.

One Confusing "More" Exception

Consider the following examples.

• 我 家 客厅 比 你 家 客厅 大 一 倍 。Wǒ jiā kètīng bǐ nǐ jiā kètīng dà yī bèi.My house's living room is double the size of your house's living room.
• 你 的 速度 比 我们 快 两 倍 。Nǐ de sùdù bǐ wǒmen kuài liǎng bèi.Your speed is twice as fast as our speed.

One is 多一倍, while the other is 多两倍. Logically speaking, the first should be double (x + 1x), while the second should be triple (x + 2x). In normal spoken Chinese, however, both could be understood to mean "double." So if you ever hear "多两倍," make sure you're clear on whether it's a 2x or a 3x increase.