HSKReadyGet the appHSK 2 · Sentence types › Special sentence patterns › Comparisons 1
Making Comparisons in Chinese with 比 (bǐ)
This guide explains how to build comparative sentences in Mandarin using 比 (bǐ), add specific or general difference amounts after the adjective, and choose between 没有 (méiyǒu) and 不比 (bù bǐ) based on context.
哥哥比弟弟高。
Basic comparison: the subject before 比 (older brother) has more of the quality (tall) than the noun after 比 (younger brother).
× 哥哥比弟弟很高。
Incorrect in this basic comparison: omit 很 directly before 高. Use 哥哥比弟弟高。
Corrected example: 哥哥比弟弟高。
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Direction of Comparison: A 比 B + Adjective
In Mandarin grammar, 比 (bǐ) functions as a preposition that introduces the baseline or standard of comparison. In the local grammar syllabus, this basic comparative sentence pattern is categorized under level 2 grammar.
Understanding the direction of comparison is more important than memorizing the formula mechanically. The item placed first (Item A) is the subject being evaluated, and it possesses the quality of the final adjective to a greater degree than the benchmark item following 比 (Item B). If you swap the positions of A and B while keeping the same adjective, you reverse the factual claim of the sentence.
哥哥比弟弟高。
Basic comparison: the subject before 比 (older brother) has more of the quality (tall) than the noun after 比 (younger brother).
Why Basic Comparisons Avoid 很 (hěn) Before the Adjective
In a neutral statement such as 他很高, 很 often helps an adjective form a natural predicate without contrastive stress. It does not mean every adjective sentence requires 很. In the basic comparative pattern 他比我高, omit 很 directly before 高; 更 can add emphasis to the comparison.
× 哥哥比弟弟很高。
Incorrect in this basic comparison: omit 很 directly before 高. Use 哥哥比弟弟高。
Corrected example: 哥哥比弟弟高。
You can add 更 before the adjective to emphasize an increase relative to a comparison point: even more or more still. The comparison point comes from the sentence or context. 更 does not require both items to have already been independently described as possessing the quality.
他今天比昨天更忙。
更 appears before 忙 and emphasizes the increase relative to yesterday. The sentence compares the two days; it does not set an absolute threshold for being busy.
Expressing the Size of the Difference After the Adjective
To specify how much A differs from B—whether by an exact measurement or a general degree like 'a little' or 'a lot'—Mandarin places a quantity complement or degree complement after the adjective, never before it.
- Exact difference (Quantity Complement): Place a number and measure word right after the adjective to state the exact gap between A and B.
- Approximate small difference: Place 一点儿 (yīdiǎnr) or 一些 (yīxiē) after the adjective to mean 'a bit more [adjective]'.
- Large difference (Degree Complement): Place 得多 (de duō) or 多了 (duō le) after the adjective to mean 'much more [adjective]'.
- Keep positions distinct: 更 goes before the adjective to emphasize the relative increase; difference complements follow the adjective to express the size of the gap.
姐姐比我大三岁。
The specific difference amount (三岁, three years) is placed as a quantity complement after the adjective 大.
坐高铁比坐公共汽车快得多。
The degree complement 得多 follows the adjective 快 to indicate a large difference between the two options.
Comparing Negatives: 没有 (méiyǒu) vs. 不比 (bù bǐ)
Learners often assume that putting 不 (bù) in front of 比 (bǐ) is the standard way to reverse a comparison. In practice, Mandarin distinguishes between falling short of a benchmark with 没有 (méiyǒu) and refuting a claim of superiority with 不比 (bù bǐ).
When you want to state that Item A does not reach the level of Item B on a given scale (meaning A is less [adjective] than B), use 没有 (méiyǒu), optionally adding 这么 (zhème) or 那么 (nàme) before the adjective. Here, B acts as a high standard that A does not match.
今天没有昨天那么冷。
Uses 没有 ... 那么 ... to state that today falls short of yesterday's level of coldness (yesterday was colder).
By contrast, A 不比 B + Adjective literally means 'A is not more [adjective] than B.' Speakers typically use 不比 to push back against an assumption or claim that A exceeds B. Depending on the surrounding context, if A is not more [adjective] than B, the actual situation could be that A and B are roughly equal, or even that A is less [adjective] than B. Because 不比 only rules out A being higher on the scale, you must rely on the broader context to know whether the speaker means 'just the same' or 'actually less'.
这家店的水果不比那家店的贵。
Uses 不比 to reject the assumption that this shop costs more; depending on context, the prices are roughly equal or this shop is actually cheaper.
Worked Reading Interpretation: Tracking Comparative Meaning
When reading short passages, pay close attention to who holds the higher position on the adjective scale and how negative comparisons narrow down the facts. Consider how a reader processes a two-part comparison about two apartments: suppose a speaker first notes that Apartment A is farther from the subway than Apartment B by two stops, and then remarks that Apartment A's rent is not cheaper than Apartment B's (using 不比) and in fact is not as quiet as Apartment B (using 没有).
- Step 1 (Direction and exact difference): In the distance comparison, Apartment A precedes 比 and 'two stops' follows 'far'. This tells you Apartment B is closer to the subway by two stops.
- Step 2 (Interpreting 不比 in context): Saying Apartment A's rent '不比' Apartment B's rent is cheap refutes the idea that A saves you money; their rents are either about the same or A actually costs more.
- Step 3 (Interpreting 没有): Saying Apartment A '没有' Apartment B quiet establishes a clear ranking: Apartment B is quieter than Apartment A.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a specific number or 'much' in front of the adjective in a 比 sentence?
Put a measured difference such as 三岁, or complements such as 一点儿 and 得多, after the adjective in this basic pattern: 比我大三岁, 比我高一点儿, 比我高得多. Some adverbs can precede the adjective, including 更, 还 and 稍微: 比我稍微高一点儿. Learn the position of each expression instead of treating every English word for degree as the same Chinese construction.
If I want to say 'A is less expensive than B', should I use 没有 or 不比?
To clearly state that A is less expensive than B (meaning B is more expensive), use A 没有 B 贵. Using A 不比 B 贵 only states that A is not more expensive than B, which is frequently used when two items cost about the same.
