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.

Subj. + 比 + Noun + Adj. + 得多 / 多了 / 很多

Examples

  • 我 高 得多 wǒ gāo de duō.He is a lot taller than I am.
  • 他 聪明 多了 tā cōngming duō le.I am much smarter than he is.
  • 上海 我 老家 贵 多了It's much more expensive in Shanghai than in my hometown.
  • 这 个 老师 那个 老师 严格 得多This teacher is much more strict than that teacher.
  • 你 妈妈 我 妈妈 年轻 很多Nǐ māma wǒ māma niánqīng hěn duō.Your mother is much younger than my mother.
  • 坐 高铁 坐 飞机 方便 很多Zuò gāotiě 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

A + 比 + B + 还 + Adj.

Examples

  • 北京 的 人口 上海 多 。Běijīng de rénkǒu Shànghǎi hái duō.Today is even hotter than yesterday.
  • 这 家 店 那 家 店 贵 。Zhè jiā diàn nà jiā diàn hái guì.This test is even more difficult than last one.
  • 姚明 高 。 YáoMíng hái gāo.He is even taller than Yao Ming.
  • 懒 。hái lǎn.You're even lazier than me.
  • 弟弟 哥哥 调皮 。Dìdi gēge hái tiáopí.The younger brother is even more naughty than the elder brother.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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