Basic comparisons with "bi" "比"
One of the most common words when comparing things in Chinese is to use 比 (bǐ). 比 (bǐ) has similarities to the English word "than," but it requires a word order that's not so intuitive, so you'll want to practice it quite a bit.
Basic Usage
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 + Adj.
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 。
Xiǎo Lǐ bǐ Xiǎo Zhāng gāo .
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 。
Xiǎo Zhāng bǐ Xiǎo Lǐ ǎi .
Xiao Zhang is shorter than Xiao Li.
Examples
- 他 比 老师 聪明 。
Tā bǐ lǎoshī cōngming
He is smarter than the teacher.
- 上海 比 纽约 大 吗 ？
Shànghǎi bǐ Niǔyuē dà ma?
Is Shanghai bigger than New York?
- 她 比 她 妈妈 漂亮 。
Tā bǐ tā māma piàoliang .
She is prettier than her mother.
- 星巴克 的 咖啡 比 这里 的 咖啡 贵 。
Xīngbākè de kāfēi bǐ zhèlǐ de kāfēi guì
The coffee at Starbucks is more expensive than the coffee here.
- 地铁 比 公交车 方便 。
Dìtiě bǐ gōngjiāochē fāngbiàn
The subway is more convenient than the bus.
Common Errors
Try not to make these mistakes:
很 (hěn) can't be used in the comparison.
他 比 我 很 高 。
Tā bǐ wǒ hěn gāo.- 他 比 我 高 。
Tā bǐ wǒ gāo.
He's taller than me.
The adjective used in the comparison should be positive, not negative.
我 比 你 不 聪明 。
Wǒ bǐ nǐ bù cōngming .- 你 比 我 聪明 。
Nǐ bǐ wǒ cōngming .
You are smarter than me.
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 。
Wǒ bǐ nǐ yīyàng cōngming.- 我 跟 你 一样 聪明 。
Wǒ gēn nǐ yīyàng cōngming.
I am as smart as you.
Pattern Using 比 (bǐ) and 更 (gèng)
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 + Adj.
The only new thing here is the addition of 更 (gèng) before the adjective.
- 小李 比 小张 更 高 。
Xiǎo Lǐ bǐ Xiǎo Zhāng gèng gāo .
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
- 我 哥哥 比 我 更 高 。
Wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gèng gāo
My big brother is even taller than me.
- 你 男朋友 比 我男朋友 更 帅 。
Nǐ nánpéngyou bǐ wǒ nánpéngyou gèng shuài.
Your boyfriend is even more handsome than mine.
- 这里 的 冬天 比 纽约 的 冬天 更 冷 。
Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān bǐ Niǔyuē de dōngtiān gèng lěng
The winter here is even colder than it is in New York.
- 中文 语法 比 汉字 更 好玩 。
Zhōngwén yǔfǎ bǐ Hànzì gèng hǎowán
Chinese grammar is even more fun than Chinese characters.
- 你的 问题 比 我的 问题 更 麻烦。
Nǐ de wèntí bǐ wǒ de wèntí gèng máfan
Your problem is even more troublesome than mine.
See Also
Check these other comparison patterns out as well:
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 61-3)
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 53)
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 65-6)
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 6-8)
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 184-5)
Websites