Comparing: A は B より
A は B より + adjective
A は B より + adjective = A is more… than B. The word before より is what you compare against.
In short
より = “than”. 東京は 大阪より 大きいです: Tokyo is bigger than Osaka. The adjective doesn't change: より does the comparing.
- でんしゃは バスより はやいです。densha wa basu yori hayai desuThe train is faster than the bus.
- きょうは きのうより さむいです。kyō wa kinō yori samui desuToday is colder than yesterday.
- 日本語は フランス語より むずかしいですか。nihongo wa furansu-go yori muzukashii desu kaIs Japanese harder than French?
The basics
To compare two things, Japanese has no word for “more” or “-er”: the adjective stays as it is. You say A は B より + adjective: “A, compared to B, is…”. より means “than”, “compared to”.
- 東京は きょうとより 大きいです。tōkyō wa kyōto yori ōkii desuTokyo is bigger than Kyoto.
- きょうは きのうより さむいです。kyō wa kinō yori samui desuToday is colder than yesterday.
Strengthening it: ずっと, もっと
ずっと (much more, by far) and もっと (even more) go before the adjective.
- 車は 電車より ずっと たかいです。kuruma wa densha yori zutto takai desuA car costs much more than the train.
The order can change
より can come first: B より A の ほうが… (next lesson). What matters is spotting より: the word just before it is the “lesser” one.
| Phrase | What's bigger |
|---|---|
| 東京は きょうとより 大きい | Tokyo |
| きょうとより 東京の ほうが 大きい | Tokyo |
Common mistakes
- Looking for a word for “more”: the adjective alone is enough, より does the comparing.
- Getting the direction wrong: the word before より is the “lesser” one.
- Using より for “less than”: “less expensive” is said by reversing (B は A より たかい) or with やすい.
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line (Comparing) of the Tokyo subway.