Difference between revisions of "Basic comparisons with "meiyou""

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* 上海 <em>没有</em> 北京 冷 。 <span class="pinyin">Shànghǎi <em>méiyǒu</em> Běijīng lěng.</span> <span class="trans">Shanghai is not as cold as Beijing.</span>
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* 这 个 地方 <em>没有</em> 上海 好玩。 <span class="pinyin">Zhè ge dìfang <em>méiyǒu</em> Shànghǎi hǎowán. </span> <span class="trans">This place is not as fun as Shanghai. </span>  
* 火车 <em>没有</em> 飞机 快 。 <span class="pinyin">Huǒchē <em>méiyǒu</em> fēijī kuài.</span> <span class="trans">Trains are not as fast as airplanes. (This car does not have the speed of that other car.)</span>
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* 火车 <em>没有</em> 飞机 快。 <span class="pinyin">Huǒchē <em>méiyǒu</em> fēijī kuài. </span> <span class="trans">Trains are not as fast as airplanes. (This car does not have the speed of that other car.) </span>
* 他 <em>没有</em> 他弟弟 聪明 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> tādìdi cōngming.</span> <span class="trans">He's not as clever as his younger brother.</span>
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* 他 <em>没有</em> 他弟弟 聪明。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> tādìdi cōngming. </span> <span class="trans">He's not as clever as his younger brother. </span>
* Obama <em>没有</em> Clinton 帅。 <span class="pinyin">Obama <em>méiyǒu</em> Clinton shuài.</span> <span class="trans">Obama is not as handsome as Clinton.</span>
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* Obama <em>没有</em> Clinton 帅。 <span class="pinyin">Obama <em>méiyǒu</em> Clinton shuài. </span> <span class="trans">Obama is not as handsome as Clinton. </span>
* 马云 <em>没有</em> Bill Gates 有钱。 <span class="pinyin">Mǎyún <em>méiyǒu</em> Bill Gates yǒuqián.</span> <span class="trans">Jack Ma is not as rich as Bill Gates.</span>
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* 马云 <em>没有</em> Bill Gates 有钱。 <span class="pinyin">Mǎyún <em>méiyǒu</em> Bill Gates yǒuqián. </span> <span class="trans">Jack Ma is not as rich as Bill Gates. </span>
* 你们 公司 <em>没有</em> 我们公司 大。 <span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen gōngsī <em>méiyǒu</em> wǒmen gōngsī dà.</span> <span class="trans"> Your company is not as big as ours.</span>
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* 你们 公司 <em>没有</em> 我们公司 大。 <span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen gōngsī <em>méiyǒu</em> wǒmen gōngsī dà. </span> <span class="trans"> Your company is not as big as ours. </span>
* 拼音 <em>没有</em> 汉字 难。 <span class="pinyin">Pīnyīn <em>méiyǒu</em> hànzì nán.</span> <span class="trans">Pinyin is not as cdifficult as Chinese characters.</span>
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* 拼音 <em>没有</em> 汉字 难。 <span class="pinyin">Pīnyīn <em>méiyǒu</em> hànzì nán. </span> <span class="trans">Pinyin is not as cdifficult as Chinese characters. </span>
* 坐 公交车 <em>没有</em> 坐地铁 方便 。 <span class="pinyin">Zuò gōngjiāochē <em>méiyǒu</em> zuò dìtiě fāngbiàn.</span> <span class="trans">Taking the bus is not as convenient as taking the metro.</span>
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* 坐 公交车 <em>没有</em> 坐地铁 方便。 <span class="pinyin">Zuò gōngjiāochē <em>méiyǒu</em> zuò dìtiě fāngbiàn.</span> <span class="trans">Taking the bus is not as convenient as taking the metro.</span>
* 小米 手机 <em>没有</em> iPhone 贵。 <span class="pinyin"> Xiǎomǐ shǒujī <em>méiyǒu</em>  iPhone guì.</span> <span class="trans">Xiaomi phone is not as expensive as iPhone.</span>
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* 小米 手机 <em>没有</em> iPhone 贵。 <span class="pinyin"> Xiǎomǐ shǒujī <em>méiyǒu</em>  iPhone guì.</span> <span class="trans">Xiaomi phone is not as expensive as iPhone. </span>
* 爸爸 做的 菜 <em>没有</em> 妈妈 做的菜 好吃。 <span class="pinyin">Bàba zuò de cài <em>méiyǒu</em> māma zuò de cài hǎochī .</span> <span class="trans">The food dad cooks is not as tasty as those mom cooks.</span>
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* 爸爸 做的 菜 <em>没有</em> 妈妈 做的菜 好吃。<span class="pinyin">Bàba zuò de cài <em>méiyǒu</em> māma zuò de cài hǎochī. </span> <span class="trans">The food dad cooks is not as tasty as those mom cooks. </span>
 
 
  
 
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Revision as of 02:33, 13 November 2015

In Chinese, there is another way to make comparisons. You can use 没有(méiyǒu) to express that something is "not as" as something else.

Basic pattern

As well as with (bǐ), you can also use 没有 (méiyǒu) to make basic comparisons. You could think of 没有 (méiyǒu) as the opposite of 比 (bǐ) - it works in the same way, but rather than expressing "more... than..." it expresses "not as... as...":

Noun 1 + 没有 + Noun 2 + Adj.

In this structure, the noun that's placed first is less "adjective" than the second noun (hence 没有 (méiyǒu) being like 比 (bǐ) in reverse). So in the sentence:

  • 小张 没有 小李 高 。 Xiǎo Zhāng méiyǒu Xiǎo Lǐ gāo. Xiao Zhang is not as tall as Xiao Li.

小李 (Xiǎo Lǐ) is taller. The same situation could be described as:

  • 小李 没有 小张 矮 。 Xiǎo Lǐ méiyǒu Xiǎo Zhāng ǎi. Xiao Li is not as short as Xiao Zhang.

Examples

  • 这 个 地方 没有 上海 好玩。 Zhè ge dìfang méiyǒu Shànghǎi hǎowán. This place is not as fun as Shanghai.
  • 火车 没有 飞机 快。 Huǒchē méiyǒu fēijī kuài. Trains are not as fast as airplanes. (This car does not have the speed of that other car.)
  • 没有 他弟弟 聪明。 méiyǒu tādìdi cōngming. He's not as clever as his younger brother.
  • Obama 没有 Clinton 帅。 Obama méiyǒu Clinton shuài. Obama is not as handsome as Clinton.
  • 马云 没有 Bill Gates 有钱。 Mǎyún méiyǒu Bill Gates yǒuqián. Jack Ma is not as rich as Bill Gates.
  • 你们 公司 没有 我们公司 大。 Nǐmen gōngsī méiyǒu wǒmen gōngsī dà. Your company is not as big as ours.
  • 拼音 没有 汉字 难。 Pīnyīn méiyǒu hànzì nán. Pinyin is not as cdifficult as Chinese characters.
  • 坐 公交车 没有 坐地铁 方便。 Zuò gōngjiāochē méiyǒu zuò dìtiě fāngbiàn. Taking the bus is not as convenient as taking the metro.
  • 小米 手机 没有 iPhone 贵。 Xiǎomǐ shǒujī méiyǒu iPhone guì. Xiaomi phone is not as expensive as iPhone.
  • 爸爸 做的 菜 没有 妈妈 做的菜 好吃。Bàba zuò de cài méiyǒu māma zuò de cài hǎochī. The food dad cooks is not as tasty as those mom cooks.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books