JLPT N5 · Adjectives and comparing · 28 of 60

Comparing with より

A は B より～ A wa B yori ~ A is more... than B

A は B より adjective です compares two things: 東京は大阪より大きいです, Tokyo is bigger than Osaka. The adjective itself does not change.

Level: JLPT N5, beginner
Type: Adjectives and comparing
English links: comparatives, than, irregular adjectives

What it means

より means "than", but it comes after the second thing. 東京は大阪より大きいです is "Tokyo, compared with Osaka, is big". There is no "-er" and no "more". The adjective is the same word as always.

You can also put the winner second with のほう (the side of): 大阪より東京のほうが大きいです. Both sentences mean the same.

To ask which of two is more, say A と B と、どちらが～ですか. In speech, どちら is often どっち. Answer with のほうが: 猫のほうが好きです (I like cats better).

How to build it

Pattern	How it works
A は B より + adjective + です A wa B yori + adjective + desu	東京は大阪より大きいです. The adjective does not change.
B より A のほうが + adjective + です B yori A no hou ga + adjective + desu	The same meaning, with the winner second.
A と B と、どちらが + adjective + ですか A to B to, dochira ga + adjective + desu ka	Which is more ...? どっち in casual speech.
A のほうが + adjective + です A no hou ga + adjective + desu	The answer: A is more ....

Examples

東京は大阪より大きいです。 toukyou wa oosaka yori ookii desu. Tokyo is bigger than Osaka.
今日は昨日より暑いです。 kyou wa kinou yori atsui desu. It is hotter today than yesterday.
電車はバスより速いです。 densha wa basu yori hayai desu. The train is faster than the bus.
犬と猫と、どちらが好きですか。 inu to neko to, dochira ga suki desu ka. Which do you like better, dogs or cats?
猫のほうが好きです。 neko no hou ga suki desu. I like cats better.

How English says it

English changes the adjective. Short adjectives take "-er": bigger, faster, hotter. Longer ones take "more": more difficult, more expensive. A few are irregular: good, better; bad, worse.

Then "than" comes before the second thing: "bigger than Osaka". The order is the reverse of Japanese, where より follows the noun.

For likes, English uses "better" or "more": "I like cats better than dogs".

Why it can make English hard

The Japanese adjective does not change, so many students forget "-er" and write "big than".
Students who learn "more" and "-er" at the same time often use both: "more bigger".
より comes after the noun and "than" comes before it. Some learners put the "than" phrase first, as in Japanese: "Than Osaka, Tokyo is bigger."

Mistakes you will hear

Tokyo is big than Osaka. Tokyo is bigger than Osaka. 大きい does not change in Japanese, so "-er" is missing.
The train is more faster than the bus. The train is faster than the bus. Use "-er" or "more", never both.
I like cats than dogs. I like cats better than dogs. From 犬より猫が好き. English needs "better" or "more".
English is more good than math. English is better than math. "Good" is irregular: better, best.

In the classroom

Bring two real things, for example two pens or two pictures of cities. Students make as many "than" sentences as they can in one minute.
Sort adjectives into two boxes on the board: "-er" (short) and "more" (long). Give the rule of thumb: one syllable, "-er"; three or more, "more".
Use "Which do you like better, A or B?" as a warm-up question. It is the English twin of どちらが好きですか, and students hear it on every test.

Practice

Try each one, then open it to check.

1. Fill the gap: 夏は冬＿暑いです。 (Summer is hotter than winter.)

Answer: より

より follows the thing you compare against.
2. Translate: 英語と数学と、どちらが難しいですか。

Answer: Which is more difficult, English or math?

"Difficult" is long, so it takes "more".
3. A student writes "My bag is more heavier than yours." Fix it.

Answer: My bag is heavier than yours.

One comparative marker only. "Heavy" takes "-er".
4. Translate: 電車のほうが安いです。

Answer: The train is cheaper.

のほうが marks the winner. "Cheap" takes "-er".