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 more." Its usage can be a little tricky (different from English), so pay close attention to the pattern below.

Directly Expressing Multiples

For this pattern, we're stating how many times more amount A is compared to amount B. Pretty straightforward.

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 much as last year's.

Expressing "More" with Multiples

This pattern involves an adjective, one of the most common being 多 ("many"). 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

One very important linguistic difference between English and Chinese to note here is that in Chinese, you're typically talking about how many multiples in addition to the original amount. So 多一倍 is "x + 1x," in other words "double" the original amount. Naturally, 多两倍 would be triple the original amount (x + 2x). This little detail is sometimes confusing even for native speakers, so if you're talking about multiples and 多 is involved, be sure to use actual numbers to confirm both sides are on the same page!

Examples

• 我 家 客厅 比 你 家 客厅 大 一 倍 。Wǒ jiā kètīng bǐ nǐ jiā kètīng dà yī bèi.My home's living room is double the size of your home's living room.
• 这个 15 岁 的 男孩 比 一般 的 孩子 重 一 倍 。Zhège shíwǔ 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.
• 你 的 速度 比 我们 快 两 倍 。Nǐ de sùdù bǐ wǒmen kuài liǎng bèi.Your speed is three times as fast as our speed.
• 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 five times as large as the USA's.
• 他 的 车 比 你 的 车 贵 十 倍 。Tā de chē bǐ nǐ de chē guì shí bèi.His car is 11 times more expensive than your car.

Sources and further reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 4上 (pp. 69) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

:Yes