N5 · Adjectives and adverbs
Comparing things
comparison and the superlative
A Japanese adjective has no comparative form: より, のほうが and いちばん do the work.
There is no "-er" and no "more" inside a Japanese adjective. 高い means "expensive" and also "more expensive"; the comparison is made by particles around it. 東京は大阪より大きいです is "Tokyo is bigger than Osaka". より marks the thing you measure against, like English "than", but it comes after that thing and before the adjective.
To ask which of two, Japanese lists both and asks どちら: 電車とバスとどちらが速いですか. In conversation どっち is common. The answer puts のほう, "the side of", after the winner: 電車のほうが速いです. Both halves can be combined: 電車のほうがバスより速いです.
For three or more, 一番 ("number one") goes before the adjective, and the group is marked with で or の中で: 果物の中で何が一番好きですか, "Which fruit do you like best?"
English speakers stumble on two things. The first is word order: "than the bus" becomes バスより, with より after the noun. The second is the question word. English "which" covers any number of choices; Japanese uses どちら for two, and for three or more the word for the kind of thing — どれ or 何, だれ for people, どこ for places, いつ for times.
The form
| X is bigger than Y. | 東京は大阪より大きいです。 |
| Which is faster, X or Y? | 電車とバスとどちらが速いですか。 |
| X is faster. | 電車のほうが速いです。 |
| X is faster than Y. | 電車のほうがバスより速いです。 |
| Which season do you like best? | 季節の中でいつが一番好きですか。 |
| I like spring best. | 春が一番好きです。 |
| Y is not as fast as X. | バスは電車ほど速くないです。 |
The rules one by one
より marks what you compare against and comes after it.
今日は昨日より暖かいです。Today is warmer than yesterday.
Ask about two things with どちら, and answer with のほうが.
肉と魚とどちらが好きですか。Which do you like better, meat or fish?
一番 before the adjective makes the superlative; で or の中で sets the group.
田中さんはクラスで一番背が高いです。Mr Tanaka is the tallest in the class.
ほど with a negative says "not as … as".
今年の冬は去年ほど寒くないです。This winter is not as cold as last year's.
Among three or more, choose the question word for the kind of thing: どれ, なに, だれ, どこ or いつ.
家族の中でだれが一番若いですか。Who is the youngest in your family?
A closer look
もっと, ずっと and the bookish より
When there is nothing explicit to compare with, もっと means "more": もっと安いのはありますか, "Do you have anything cheaper?" ずっと strengthens a comparison: 電車のほうがずっと速い, "the train is much faster".
In writing and formal speech より can also stand directly before an adjective to mean "more": より良いサービス, "a better service". This is a habit borrowed from translation and sounds bookish. In conversation, stay with the patterns above.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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you compare with ほど
the sentence has to be negative: ほど〜ない, "not as … as".
この町は東京ほどにぎやかではありません。This town is not as lively as Tokyo.
ほど measures how far something reaches, and saying that one thing reaches the level of another is only done to deny it.
How to spot it
- より
- のほうが
- どちら
- どっち
- 一番
- の中で
- ほど〜ない
Example sentences
北海道は九州より寒いです。Hokkaido is colder than Kyushu.
コーヒーと紅茶とどちらがいいですか。Which would you like, coffee or tea?
紅茶のほうがいいです。I would prefer tea.
一年で何月が一番暑いですか。Which month is the hottest of the year?
私は兄より3センチ背が高いです。I am three centimetres taller than my brother.
この店で一番人気があるのはどれですか。Which one is the most popular in this shop?
8 more example sentences
夏と冬とどっちが好き？Which do you like better, summer or winter?
私は冬のほうが好きです。I prefer winter.
日本で一番長い川は何ですか。What is the longest river in Japan?
電車で行くほうが早いですよ。It is quicker to go by train.
妹は私よりずっと料理が上手です。My younger sister is a much better cook than me.
もっと安いのはありませんか。Don't you have anything cheaper?
スポーツの中でサッカーが一番好きです。Of all sports, I like football best.
昨日は今日ほど忙しくなかったです。Yesterday was not as busy as today.
Worth knowing (2)
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Actions can be compared too
A verb in the dictionary form takes ほう directly, without の, so whole actions can be set against each other: 歩くより自転車で行くほうが速い.
外で食べるより、家で食べるほうが安いです。Eating at home is cheaper than eating out.
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Just as … as
For two things that are equal, Japanese says they are 同じぐらい, "about the same", and puts the adjective after it.
この二つは同じぐらい重いです。These two are about as heavy as each other.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Between two things Japanese asks with どちら or どっち; どれ is for a choice among three or more. English "which" covers both, so the difference is easy to miss — and a Japanese listener hears it at once.
The adjective never changes: より says than, のほうが names the winner, and いちばん says the most.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.