Basic comparisons with "bi"
- Also known as: 比字句 (bǐ zì jù).
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One of the most common words when comparing things in Chinese is to use 比 (bǐ). 比 (bǐ) draws similarities to the English word "than" when making comparisons between things.
Contents
Basic Pattern Using 比
You could think of 比 (bǐ) as meaning "than," except that it sits between the two things being compared. The word order will take a little getting used to, but aside from that, the pattern is quite easy.
Structure
To say that one thing is more adjective than another, the structure is:
Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adjective
The noun that's placed first is the one that comes out on top in the comparison. So in the sentence:
- 小李 比 小张 高 。Xiao Li is taller than Xiao Zhang.
小李 (Xiǎo lǐ) is taller. The same situation could be described as
- 小张 比 小李 矮 。Xiao Zhang is shorter than Xiao Li.
Examples
- 她 比 我 大 。She is older than me.
- 我 比 你 胖 。I'm fatter than you.
- 美国 比 英国 大 。The U.S. is bigger than the U.K.
- 这 个 地方 比 那 个 地方 好 。This place is better than that place.
- 纽约 比 上海 冷 。New York is colder than Shanghai.
- 咖啡 比 茶 苦 。Coffee is more bitter than tea.
- 鱼 比 猪肉 好吃 。Fish tastes better than pork.
- 伦敦 的 房子 比 上海 的 贵 。The apartments in London are more expensive than in Shanghai.
- 上海 比 别 的 城市 方便 。Shanghai is more convenient than other cities.
- 中文 比 英语 有意思 。Chinese is more interesting than English.
Common Errors
Try not to make these mistakes:
The adjective used in the comparison should be positive, not negative.
- 我 比 你 不 聪明 。I am not smarter than you. (incorrect)
- 你 比 我 聪明 。You are smarter than me. (correct)
- 我 比 你 笨 。I am dumber than you. (correct)
比 (bǐ) is not used with 一样 (yīyàng). 比 (bǐ) is used when two things are not the same.
- 我 比 你 一样 聪明 。I am as smart as you. (incorrect)
- 我 跟 你 一样 聪明 。I am as smart as you. (correct)
Pattern Using 比 and 更
This is a slight upgrade of the basic 比 (bǐ) comparison pattern, adding in 更 (gèng) before the adjective. 更 (gèng) means "even more," so the idea is that while one thing is already quite [adjective], this other thing is even more [adjective]. Pretty simple!
Structure
Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + 更 + Adjective
The only new thing here is the addition of 更 (gèng) before the adjective.
- 小李 比 小张 更 高 。Xiao Li is even taller than Xiao Zhang.
The implication is that while Xiao Zhang is tall, 小李 (Xiǎo lǐ) is even taller.
Examples
- 她 比 我 更 大 。She is even older than me.
- 我 比 你 更 胖 。I'm even fatter than you.
- 美国 比 英国 更 大 。The U.S. is even bigger than the U.K.
- 这 个 地方 比 那 个 地方 更 好 。This place is even better than that place.
- 你 比 你 妈妈 更 漂亮 。You are prettier than your mom.
- iPhone 比 iPad 更 贵 。iPhone is more expensive than iPad.
- 中文 比 法语 更 难 。Chinese is more difficult than French.
- 海南 比 香港 更 热 。Hainan is hotter than Hong Kong.
- 我 现在 比 以前 更 开心 。I am happier now than before.
- 我 的 钱 比 你 的钱 更 多 。I have more money than you.
See also
Finally, to express "not as... as," use 没有, and to express "not more... than" use 不比 (the negative cousin of 比).
Check these elementary comparison patterns out as well:
When you're read for more, we also have a good overview of comparisons in Mandarin Chinese which spans all levels.
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 61-3) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 53) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 65-6) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 6-8) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 184-5) →buy
Websites
- East Asia Student: Simple comparisons in Mandarin Chinese
- Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 跟 and 比
