Making Comparisons in Chinese – All about bǐ-structure(比字句)

In Western culture, we’re often told that we shouldn’t make comparisons because it implies that we’re somehow unsatisfied with the things we have. Still, in reality, we’re constantly using comparisons to describe the world around us in very practical and neutral ways. These comparisons can be based on attributes like size, age, weight, or other more subjective factors. When it comes to learning Chinese, being able to make comparisons is a useful tool to help you describe people or things in intricate detail.

Mandarin Chinese relies on a specific syntax, known as a 比字句 (bǐzìjù), which uses the character 比 (bǐ) to create a relationship between two things. This structure is slightly more complex than standard subject + verb + object sentences, and some specific rules make it difficult to master. For example, you can say 他比我高 (tā bǐ wǒ gāo) to say “he is taller than me”, but it would be grammatically incorrect to say 他比我很高 (tā bǐ wǒ hěn gāo). In this article, we’ll explore the specific nuances of the character 比 (bǐ) and provide some real-life examples for practice.

Basic 比 Sentence Structure (比字句)

In Chinese, we use the 比 (bǐ) structure(比字句,bǐzìjù) to compare people or things, describe changes in different situations, and indicate changes over time. The word order in these types of sentences is different from English. Here is the basic pattern:

A 比 B + adjective

For example:

他比我高。(Tā  bǐ wǒ  gāo.)
He is taller than me.

我的房间比他的房间大。(Wǒ de fángjiān bǐ tā de fángjiān dà.)
My room is bigger than his.

我比去年胖。(Wǒ bǐ qùnián pàng.)
I am fatter than last year.

We can often omit the second repetition of the noun.

For example:

我的房间比他的（房间）大。(Wǒ de fángjiān bǐ tā de (fángjiān) dà .)
My room is bigger than his.

-> Interrogative Sentences: Forming yes-no questions with 比:

A 比 B + adjective + 吗？

You can form simple yes-no questions by adding 吗(ma) at the end of any 比 (bǐ) sentence.  

For example:

他比你高吗？(Tā bǐ nǐ gāo ma?)
Is he taller than you?

她比我聪明吗？(tā bǐ wǒ cōngmíng ma?)
Is she smarter than me?

这辆车比那辆车快吗？(zhè liàng chē bǐ nà liàng chē kuài ma?)
Is this car faster than that one?

他的中文比她好吗？(tā de zhōng wén bǐ tā hǎo ma?)
Is his Chinese better than hers?

To answer questions like 他比你高吗？ (Tā bǐ nǐ gāo ma?) in Chinese, we need to know both the affirmative and negative forms. There are two different kinds of negative responses you can use. Here are some examples:

-> The negative form:

i) A 没有 B + adjective

The first negative form of 比字句 (bǐzìjù) simply replaces 比 (bǐ) with 没有 (méiyǒu). This response affirms that not only is A not as “adjective” (not as big, not as fast, not as old) as B, but in reality, the opposite is true.

For example:

他没有我高。(Tā méiyǒu wǒ gāo.) He is not taller than me.
His height < My height

她没有我聪明。(Tā méiyǒu wǒ cōngmíng.) She is not as smart as me.
Her intelligence < My intelligence

这辆车没有那辆车快。(Zhè liàng chē méiyǒu nà liàng chē kuài.) This car is not as fast as that car.
This car’s speed < That car’s speed

他的中文没有她好。(Tā de zhōngwén méiyǒu tā hǎo.) His Chinese is not as good as hers.
His Chinese proficiency < Her Chinese proficiency

ii) A 不比 B + adjective

The second form uses the other Chinese negation particle, 不(bù). In this case, your response can generally point towards two situations:

a) A is about the same as B (the difference is negligible).

b) A is less than B (A falls short of B).

For example:

他不比我高。(Tā bù bǐ wǒ gāo.)
a) His height ≈ My height (His height is almost the same as mine)
b) His height < My height  (He is shorter than me)

Note that this negative form not only draws a comparison, but also expresses a somewhat argumentative tone. On the other hand, the sentence 他没有我高(Tā méiyǒu wǒ gāo) is quite neutral and focuses only on the fact itself.

More examples:

她不比我聪明。(Tā bù bǐ wǒ cōng míng.)
a) She is not smarter than me. (She is almost as smart as me or less smart)
b) She is less smart than me. (Her intelligence < My intelligence)

这辆车不比那辆车快。(Zhè liàng chē bù bǐ nà liàng chē kuài.)
a) This car is not faster than that car. (They have similar speed)
b) This car is slower than that car. (This car’s speed < That car’s speed)

他的中文不比她好。(Tā de zhōng wén bù bǐ tā hǎo.)
a) His Chinese is not better than hers. (His Chinese proficiency ≈ Her Chinese proficiency)
b) His Chinese is worse than hers. (His Chinese proficiency < Her Chinese proficiency)

Additionally, there are some tonal differences between the adjectives commonly used in these two negative forms. Generally, the adjectives in A 没有 B sentences should have positive connotations, but there are no such limits in A 不比 B sentences. Here are some examples:

E.g.

我没有你聪明。(Wǒ méiyǒu nǐ cōngmíng.) I am not as clever as you.
*我没有你笨。(Wǒ méiyǒu nǐ bèn.) I am not dumber than you. X

我不比你矮。(Wǒ bù bǐ nǐ ǎi.)
I am not shorter than you.

 我也不比你笨啊，可是我为什么总学不会? (Wǒ yě bù bǐ nǐ bèn a, kěshì wǒ wèishénme zǒng xué bú huì.)
I am not dumber than you, but why can’t I learn things?

Usually, the phrase 我没有你笨(Wǒ méiyǒu nǐ bèn) would be considered grammatically incorrect, but if we want to emphasize that we are not as stupid as someone else, we can say 我没有你那么笨(Wǒ méiyǒu nǐ nàme bèn). We generally use 那么(nàme) before passive adjectives.

Expressing specific or significant differences with 比

The sentence structure “A 比 B + adjective” can indicate differences between A and B, but when there are significant differences or we want to express a specific difference, we need to add more detail. Here are some examples:

i) A 比 B + adjective + specific quantity

You can add a specific quantity after adjectives that can be measured, such as weight, dimension, or age.

他比我高10厘米。(Tā bǐ wǒ gāo shí límǐ.)
He is ten centimeters taller than me.

我比他瘦5公斤。(Wǒ bǐ tā shòu 5 gōngjīn.)
I am 5 kg thinner than him.

李校长比王老师大三岁。(Lǐ xiàozhǎng bǐ wáng lǎoshī dà sān suì.)
Principal Li is three years older than Teacher Wang.

ii) A 比 B + adjective + 一点儿/ 一些/得多/多了

If you don’t know the specific quantity, but you still want to indicate a particularly large or small discrepancy, you can use the following words:

For smaller differences:

1. 一点儿 (yìdiǎnr)
2. 一些 (yìxiē)

For larger differences:

1. 得多 (de duō)
2. 多了 (duō le)

For example:

他比我高一点儿。(Tā bǐ wǒ gāo yìdiǎnr.)
He is a little bit taller than me.

他比我高一些。(Tā bǐ wǒ gāo yìxiē.)
He is a little taller than me.

他比我高得多/多了。(Tā bǐ wǒ gāo de duō/duō le)
He is much taller than me.

When expressing significant differences between two people or things, it’s important to avoid placing adverbs before the adjective. Instead, we can use modifiers like 多(duō) and 远 (yuǎn), which should be placed after the adjective.

E.g.

*我的汉语比他很差。(Wǒ de hànyǔ  bǐ t ā hěn chà.) X
我的汉语比他差远了。(Wǒ  de hànyǔ  bǐ t ā chà yuǎn le .) √
My Chinese is much worse than his.

To express that B has a high degree in an aspect, while A is even higher than B in that aspect, we can use the following structure:

iii) A 比 B + 更/还 + adjective

For example:

大卫比姚明还高。(Dàwèi  bǐ Yáomíng hái gāo.)
David is even taller than Yaoming.

王老师比李校长还严肃。（Wáng lǎoshī bǐ lǐ xiàozhǎng hái yánsù.）
Teacher Wang is more serious than Principal Li.

有一种树比花更漂亮。（Yǒu yī zhǒng shù bǐ huā gèng piàoliang.）
There is a tree that is even more beautiful than flowers.

Interrogative Sentences: Asking specific questions with 比

To ask about specific differences or if there is a big difference between two aspects, you can use the following sentence pattern:

i) A 比 B + adjective + 多少？

This structure is used to ask how much more or less of something A is compared to B. The word 多少 (duōshao) means “how much” or “how many” and is used to inquire about the degree or extent of the difference.

For example:

大卫比姚明高多少？(Dàwèi  bǐ Yáomíng gāo duōshao?)
How much taller is David than Yaoming?

这本书比那本书厚多少？(Zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn shū hòu duōshao?)
How much thicker is this book compared to that book?

今天比昨天冷多少？(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng duōshao?)
How much colder is today than yesterday?

这件衣服比那件衣服贵多少？ (Zhè jiàn yīfu bǐ nà jiàn yīfu guì duōshao?)
How much more expensive is this piece of clothing than that one?

ii) A 比 B + adjective + 得多吗？

This structure is used to ask if A is much more (or much less) than B in a certain adjective, often emphasizing a large difference. The phrase 得多 (de duō) can mean “much more” or “much less.”

For example:

大卫比姚明高得多吗？(Dàwèi  bǐ Yáomíng gāo dé duō ma?)
Is David that much taller than Yaoming?

这本书比那本书厚得多吗？(Zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn shū hòu de duō ma?)
Is this book much thicker than that one?

今天比昨天冷得多吗？(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng de duō ma?)
Is today much colder than yesterday?

这件衣服比那件衣服贵得多吗？(Zhè jiàn yīfu bǐ nà jiàn yīfu guì de duō ma?)
Is this piece of clothing much more expensive than that one?

Conclusion

The 比 (bǐ) structure, also known as 比字句 (bǐzìjù) in Chinese, is a useful tool for expressing comparisons and differences between people and things. By mastering the correct word order and usage of adjectives, you can describe things with a much higher level of detail and also use comparisons to justify decisions. Use the exercise below to check your understanding and see if you remember how to use 比 (bǐ) to form simple comparisons, ask questions, and even express specific differences. Let us know in the comments what your score was and what you think the hardest question was! 

(You can also view a video summary as well as more grammar tutorial videos here)

Exercises

Choose the correct answer.

1. Which sentence is correct?

A) 他比我打篮球打得好。
B) 他比我打得篮球好。
C) 他比打篮球我好。

2. Which sentence is correct?

A) 他比我更喜欢吃苹果。
B) 这个房间大比那个房间。
C) 他比我更不聪明。

3. Which sentence is correct?

A) 这本书不比那本书好看。
B) 这本书好看比那本书。
C) 那本书比这本书好看。

4. Which sentence is correct?

A) 他比我跑得快。
B) 我比他快跑。
C) 他跑比我快。

5. Which sentence is correct?

A) 这件衣服比那件衣服便宜不多。
B) 这件衣服便宜比那件衣服多了。
C) 这件衣服比那件衣服便宜多了。

6. Which sentence is correct?

A）她不喜欢看电影比我。
B）她比我更不喜欢看电影。
C）她喜欢看电影不比我。

7. Which sentence is correct?

A) 她更努力工作比我。
B) 她更比我努力工作。
C) 她比我工作更努力。

8. Which sentence is correct?

A）你比我聪明得多。
B）你很聪明比我。
C）你聪明得多比我。

9. Which sentence is correct?

A） 老板大三岁比我。
B）老板比我大三岁。
C）大三岁老板比我。

10. Which sentence is correct?

A）我们的学生多很多比他们。
B）我们的学生比他们很多。
C）我们的学生比他们多很多。

Key：

1. A
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. C
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. C