比 (basic comparison)
HSK 2- Comparison
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
Used with 比 to compare two objects A and B with respect to a certain quality, expressing that one exceeds or falls short of the other.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
The structure A 比 B + Adjective is the most basic way to make comparisons in Chinese, equivalent to "A is more ... than B" in English. A is the main subject, and B is the object being compared against.
One extremely important note: do not add degree adverbs such as 很, 非常, or 太 before the adjective in a 比 sentence. The word 比 itself already carries the comparative meaning, so these words are redundant.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 他比我高。Tā bǐ wǒ gāo.
He is taller than me.
- 今天比昨天热。繁: 今天比昨天熱。Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān rè.
Today is hotter than yesterday.
- 苹果比香蕉贵。繁: 蘋果比香蕉貴。Píngguǒ bǐ xiāngjiāo guì.
Apples are more expensive than bananas.
- 姐姐比我大两岁。繁: 姐姐比我大兩歲。Jiějie bǐ wǒ dà liǎng suì.
My older sister is two years older than me.
- 飞机比火车快。繁: 飛機比火車快。Fēijī bǐ huǒchē kuài.
Airplanes are faster than trains.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:他比我很高。Correct:他比我高。
Do not use degree adverbs like 很, 非常 before adjectives in comparative sentences with 比.
- Wrong:我比他学习好。Correct:我学习比他好。
When comparing an action (such as studying), the subject and verb must come before 比.
- Wrong:他高比我。Correct:他比我高。
Incorrect word order. The correct structure is "A 比 B + adjective," with the adjective always at the end of the sentence.