Basic comparisons with "bi"

Also known as: 比字句 (bǐzì jù).

To say that one thing is more adjective than another, the structure is:

Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adjective

This 比 (bǐ) sits between the two things being compared. 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。

小李 is taller. The same situation could be described as

• 小张 比 小李 矮。

Some more examples:

• 她 比 我 大。
• 我 比 你 胖。
• 美国 比 英国 大。
• 这 条 路 比 那 条 长。

Common Errors

Try not to make these mistakes:

The adjective used in the comparison should be positive, not negative.

比 is not used with 一样. 比 is used when two things are not the same.

Finally, to express "not as... as," use 没有, and to express "not more... than" use 不比 (the negative cousin of 比).

Sources and further reading

Websites

• East Asia Student: Simple comparisons in Mandarin Chinese