Expressing "much more" in comparisons

If you want to up the intensity of your comparisons, you might want to express "much more." You can do this using 多 (duō), but did you know there are actually three different ways to do it?

Pattern with 多

Structure

As well as expressing that two things differ, you might want to go further and say that they differ a lot by adding 得多 / 多了/ 很多 (dé duō/duō le/hěn duō). This is like saying that one thing is much more Adj. than another in English.

Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj. + 得多 / 多了 / 很多

Examples

• 我 哥 比 我 高 得多 。Wǒ gē bǐ wǒ gāo de duō.My elder brother is a lot taller than I am.
• 这 个 老师 比 那个 老师 严格 得多 。This teacher is much more strict than that teacher.
• 上海 比 我 老家 贵 多了 。Shànghǎi bǐ wǒ lǎojiā guì duō le.It's much more expensive in Shanghai than in my hometown.
• 他 打 篮球 比 我 厉害 多了 。Tā dǎ lánqiú bǐ wǒ lìhai duō le.He plays basketball much better than I do.
• 坐 高铁 比 坐 飞机 方便 很多 。Zuò gāotiě bǐ zuò fēijī fāngbiàn hěn duō.It's much more convenient to take the high-speed train than the airplane.

Pattern with 还

When used in a comparison, 还 expresses an even higher degree of the adjective.

Structure

Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + 还 + Adj.

Examples

• 北京 的 人口 比 上海 还 多 。Běijīng de rénkǒu bǐ Shànghǎi hái duō.The population of Beijing is even bigger than Shanghai.
• 这 家 店 比 那 家 店 还 贵 。Zhè jiā diàn bǐ nà jiā diàn hái guì.This shop is even more expensive than that one.
• 他 比 姚明 还 高 。Tā bǐ YáoMíng hái gāo.He is even taller than Yao Ming.
• 你 比 我 还 懒 。Nǐ bǐ wǒ hái lǎn.You're even lazier than me.
• 弟弟 比 哥哥 还 调皮 。Dìdi bǐ gēge hái tiáopí.The younger brother is even more naughty than the elder brother.

See also

• Expressing "a bit too"
• Basic comparisons with "bi"
• The "zui" superlative
• Basic comparisons with "bu bi"

Sources and further reading

Books

• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 20) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 6- 8) →buy

Websites

• East Asia Student: Graded comparisons in Mandarin Chinese