Comparison & Degree
Learning Objectives
- Compare two items using より (than).
- Ask 'Which is more [Adj]?' using どちら (which).
- State 'This one is more [Adj]' using ほうが (is more).
- State the superlative 'The most [Adj]' using いちばん (number one).
- Use adverbs of degree (very, completely, not very) with adjectives.
In English, if you want to compare two things, you usually attach an “-er” to the end of an adjective: fast becomes faster, cheap becomes cheaper.
Japanese adjectives (both い and な types) do not have comparative forms! The word はやい (fast) stays exactly the same whether you are saying a car is fast, or a plane is faster than a car. Instead of changing the adjective, Japanese adds special grammatical markers to the nouns being compared to show the relationship between them.
1. Comparing Two Items: より (than)
To say “A is more [Adjective] than B”, you state A as the main topic (using は), and then attach the particle より (yori) directly to B.
Yori translates perfectly to “than”.
くるま は じてんしゃ より はやい です。
Kuruma wa jitensha yori hayai desu.
A car is faster than a bicycle.
きょう の テスト は きのう の テスト より むずかしかった です。
Kyou no tesuto wa kinou no tesuto yori muzukashikatta desu.
Today's test was more difficult than yesterday's test.
2. Asking Which is Better: どちら (Which)
When presenting two options and asking which one possesses more of an adjective, you list both nouns linked by と (and), followed by the question word どちら (dochira - which of two).
Because you are asking the listener to pick the subject that fulfills the adjective, you mark dochira with the subject particle が (ga).
いぬ と ねこ と どちら が おおきい ですか。
Inu to neko to dochira ga ookii desuka?
Between dogs and cats, which is bigger?
コーヒー と おちゃ と どちら が すき ですか。
Kōhī to ocha to dochira ga suki desuka?
Which do you like more: coffee or tea?
[!NOTE] In casual conversation, どっち (docchi) is often used instead of the polite どちら (dochira). (e.g., コーヒーとおちゃ、どっちがすき？)
3. Answering Which is Better: ほうが (The alternative)
To answer a dochira question, you state the winning noun and attach の ほうが (no hou ga).
Hou (ほう) literally translates to “side” or “alternative”. You are essentially saying: “The [Noun] side is [Adjective].“
いぬ の ほうが おおきい です。
Inu no hou ga ookii desu.
Dogs are bigger.
コーヒー の ほうが すき です。
Kōhī no hou ga suki desu.
I like coffee more.
4. The Most (Superlative): いちばん
If you are choosing the best item out of a group of three or more, use the word いちばん (ichiban), which literally means “number one”. You simply place it directly before the adjective.
To define the group you are choosing from, use the particle で (de) or the phrase の なかで (no naka de - inside of).
くだもの の なかで、りんご が いちばん すき です。
Kudamono no naka de, ringo ga ichiban suki desu.
Out of (all) fruits, I like apples the most.
にほん で とうきょう が いちばん おおきい です。
Nihon de Toukyou ga ichiban ookii desu.
In Japan, Tokyo is the biggest.
5. Degree Adverbs (Very, Not Very, Not at All)
To modify how much of an adjective something is, you place an adverb directly before the adjective.
However, there is a very strict rule in Japanese: certain degree adverbs must be paired with a negative verb conjugation (like くない or じゃありません).
Positive Adverbs (Use with Affirmative sentences):
- とても (Totemo): Very
- すこし (Sukoshi) / ちょっと (Chotto): A little bit
Negative Adverbs (MUST use with Negative sentences):
- あまり (Amari): Not very
- ぜんぜん (Zenzen): Not at all / Completely not
この ほん は とても おもしろい です。
Kono hon wa totemo omoshiroi desu.
This book is very interesting.
にほんご は すこし むずかしい です。
Nihongo wa sukoshi muzukashii desu.
Japanese is a little difficult.
その えいが は あまり おもしろくない です。
Sono eiga wa amari omoshirokunai desu.
That movie is not very interesting. (Notice the negative ending!)
わたし は えいご が ぜんぜん わかりません。
Watashi wa eigo ga zenzen wakarimasen.
I do not understand English at all. (Zenzen + Negative Verb)
Chapter Vocabulary
| Word | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| より | Yori | Than (Comparing to) | Particle |
| どちら / どっち | Dochira / Docchi | Which of two | Question Word |
| 〜の ほうが | ...no hou ga | Is more (The alternative of...) | Grammar point |
| いちばん | Ichiban | The most / Number one | Adverb |
| とても | Totemo | Very | Adverb (+) |
| すこし / ちょっと | Sukoshi / Chotto | A little | Adverb (+) |
| あまり | Amari | Not very (Requires Negative) | Adverb (-) |
| ぜんぜん | Zenzen | Not at all (Requires Negative) | Adverb (-) |
| はやい | Hayai | Fast / Early | い-Adj |
| くだもの / りんご | Kudamono / Ringo | Fruit / Apple | Noun |
Conversation Practice
とうきょう まで、でんしゃ と バス と どちら が はやい ですか。
Toukyou made, densha to basu to dochira ga hayai desuka?
To Tokyo, which is faster: the train or the bus?
でんしゃ の ほう が はやい です。
Densha no hou ga hayai desu.
The train is faster.
でんしゃ は バス より やすい ですか。
Densha wa basu yori yasui desuka?
Is the train cheaper than the bus?
いいえ、あまり やすくない です。でも、とても はやい です よ。
Iie, amari yasukunai desu. Demo, totemo hayai desu yo.
No, it is not very cheap. But, it is very fast.
じゃあ、ひこうき は どう ですか。
Jaa, hikouki wa dou desuka?
Then, how about an airplane?
ひこうき が いちばん はやい です！
Hikouki ga ichiban hayai desu!
An airplane is the fastest!
Chapter Summary
- 1Japanese adjectives never 'conjugate' into comparative forms like -er or -est. The base adjective remains unchanged.
- 2B より (B yori) translates to 'Than B'.
- 3Ask a comparative question by listing 'A to B to dochira ga...'.
- 4Answer by highlighting the winner with '...no hou ga...'.
- 5State the supreme winner of a large group by placing いちばん (ichiban) before the adjective.
- 6Adverbs like あまり (not very) and ぜんぜん (not at all) strictly require the verb or adjective following them to be conjugated into the negative.
Knowledge Check
Test your comparative logic!
Quiz
Translate: 'バス は じてんしゃ より はやい です。'