Word
Definition
conj. used to compare two things or people. You use it when the first thing has more or less of a quality than the second one.
conj. used to introduce the second element in a comparison. Functions as a subordinator following comparative adjectives or adverbs.
Examples
“She is taller than her brother.”
“The new office is much closer to the train station than the old one was.”
“While the initial investment was higher than we anticipated, the long-term savings on energy costs more than justified the expenditure over the first three years.”
Examples
simple
“She is taller than her brother.”
contextual
“The new office is much closer to the train station than the old one was.”
complex
“While the initial investment was higher than we anticipated, the long-term savings on energy costs more than justified the expenditure over the first three years.”
Usage
Used after comparative adjectives (ending in -er or with 'more') and certain words like 'rather' or 'other'.
Pitfall
He is taller then me
He is taller than me
Learners often confuse 'than' (comparison) with 'then' (time).
Confusables
Then indicates a point in time or a sequence of events, while than introduces the second part of a comparison.
RememberThen = Time. Than = Comparison.
Etymology
From Middle English than, thanne, from Old English þanne, a variant of þonne (“then, since, because”), from Proto-West Germanic þan, from Proto-Germanic þan (“at that, at that time, then”), from earlier þam, from Proto-Indo-European tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“demonstrative pronoun, that”). Cognate with Dutch dan (“than”), German denn (“than”), German dann (“then”). Doublet of then.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/than
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0