ChineseGrammarWiki/MD/A2/54.mw

{{Grammar Box}} 
In Chinese, there is another way to make comparisons. You can use [[Negation of "you" with "mei"|没有 (méiyǒu)]] to express that something is "not as" ''adjective'' as something else.  (Yes, that's the same 没有 (méiyǒu) that means "not have," used here in a different way.)

== Basic Usage ==

As well as with [[Basic comparisons with "bi"|比 (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...":

<div class="jiegou">

Noun 1 + 没有 + Noun 2 + Adj.

</div>

In this structure, the noun that's placed first is ''less'' "adjective" than the second noun, making 没有 (méiyǒu) the ''opposite'' of [[Basic comparisons with "bi"|比 (bǐ)]] for comparison purposes. So in the sentence:

<div class="liju">

* 小张 <em>没有</em> 小李 高 。 <span class="pinyin">Xiǎo Zhāng <em>méiyǒu</em> Xiǎo Lǐ gāo.</span><span class="trans">Xiao Zhang is not as tall as Xiao Li.</span>

</div>

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

<div class="liju">

* 小李 <em>没有</em> 小张 矮 。 <span class="pinyin">Xiǎo Lǐ <em>méiyǒu</em> Xiǎo Zhāng ǎi.</span><span class="trans">Xiao Li is not as short as Xiao Zhang.</span>

</div>

== Examples ==

<div class="liju">

* 这 个 地方 <em>没有</em> 上海 好玩。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège 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.</span>
* 他 <em>没有</em> 他弟弟 聪明。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> tā dìdi cōngming.</span><span class="trans">He's not as smart as his younger brother.</span>
* Clinton <em>没有</em> Obama 帅。 <span class="pinyin">Clinton <em>méiyǒu</em> Obama shuài.</span><span class="trans">Clinton is not as handsome as Obama.</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>
* 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 difficult 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>
* 小米 手机 <em>没有</em> iPhone 贵。 <span class="pinyin"> Xiǎomǐ shǒujī <em>méiyǒu</em>  iPhone guì.</span><span class="trans">The Xiaomi phone is not as expensive as the 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 the food mom cooks.</span>

</div>

==See also==
* [[Basic comparisons with "bi"]]
* [[Basic comparisons with "bu bi"]]
* [[Negation of "you" with "mei"]]
* [[Comparisons with "buru"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 69- 71) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 54-5) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)]] (pp. 33-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X →buy] 

[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
[[Category:Comparison]]
{{Basic Grammar|没有|A2|Noun 1 + 没(有) + Noun 2 + Adj.|你 <em>没有</em> 我 胖。|grammar point|ASGEAH5M}}
{{Rel char|没}}
{{Rel char|有}}
{{Similar|Basic comparisons with "bi"}}  
{{Similar|Negation of "you" with "mei"}}   
{{Similar|Comparing "bu" and "mei"}} 
{{Used for|Comparing}}
{{Used for|Denying and refusing}}
{{POS|Verbs}}
{{Subprop|Verbs}}
{{Translation|not}}