Comparisons with "buru"

不如 means "not as good as", and can be used to make comparisons in a similar way as the 比 structure.

If you want to say "A is not as adjective as B", the following structure can be used:

A + 不如 + B + (adjective/verb)

Here are some examples:

• 我 不如 姚明 高。
• 城市 的 生活 环境 不如 乡下 舒服。
• 他 不如 我 会 撒谎。
• 这个 语法点 不如 前面的 那个 解释 得 清楚。

Unlike the 比 structure, the adjective or verb in this structure can be omitted, meaning that A does not live up to, or is unequal to B. It is used like this:

A + 不如 + B

For example:

• 我 感觉看 电影 不如 看 电视剧。
• 浙江 人 特别 会 做 生意，连 广东 人 都不如他们！

When facing a choice, 不如 can also be used to mean "might as well" to emphasize the choice is the better of two options. When used like this, it is similar in meaning to 不妨.

For example:

• 既然 已经 做 到 了 一半 了，你 不如 坚持 下去。
• 与其 空想，不如 马上 行动，做 出 点儿 成绩。

As in the last example sentence, 不如 often occurs in the 与其...不如 structure, meaning "rather than X... might as well Y".

See also

• Basic comparisons with "bu bi"
• Basic comparisons with "meiyou"
• Comparing Specifically with "xiang"
• Comparing

Sources and further reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 543-7) →buy
• Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) (pp. 38-9)→buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 89) →buy
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (pp. 80-1)→buy