The Direct Balance Scale: Weighing A against B directly without extra weights.
比 already means "more than", so never insert 很 before the adjective: say 他比我高, never 他比我很高.
A比B+形容词
HSK-G-131Common Usage & Traps
Why does 他比我高 work but 他比我很高 sound wrong?
比 already means 'more', so adding 很 doubles the comparison and sounds wrong.
比 already does the comparing, so adding 很 makes the whole phrase sound doubled and wrong. In a 比 sentence, the descriptive word stands alone without extra strength words: 他比我高. That is why 他比我很高 fails, even though 他很高 works fine by itself.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparing two things | A + 比 + B + descriptive word | 他比我高 | 他比我很高 |
| Adding 很 for extra punch | A + 比 + B + 很 + descriptive word | No natural use | 他比我很高 |
Why can't 比 come after the adjective, like 他高比我?
比 comes before the descriptive word; English puts 'than' after, but Chinese flips it.
Chinese puts 比 before the descriptive word: A 比 B plus the descriptive word. English does the opposite, saying 'taller than me' with 'than' after the word. If you copy English order, you produce 他高比我, which sounds broken to native ears. The story sentence shows the correct order: “有的时候，老电影比现在的新电影有意思。” ── 《你喜欢看老电影吗？》.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| English word order | A + descriptive word + than + B | He is taller than me | 他高比我 |
| Chinese word order | A + 比 + B + descriptive word | 他比我高 | 他高比我 |
| Story example | 老电影 + 比 + 现在的新电影 + 有意思 | 老电影比现在的新电影有意思 | 老电影有意思比现在的新电影 |
Why can't I say 我比他不高 for 'I'm not taller than him'?
For 'not taller than', use 没有, not 比...不.
To say 'not taller than', Chinese uses 没有: 我没有他高. Saying 我比他不高 sounds like you are trying to block the comparison instead of making it. In a simple 比 sentence, 不 before the descriptive word is not the normal negative form. Use 没有 plus B plus the descriptive word for this meaning.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saying 'not taller than' | A + 没有 + B + descriptive word | 我没有他高 | 我比他不高 |
| Saying 'not as interesting as' | A + 没有 + B + 有意思 | 这本书没有那本书有意思 | 这本书比那本书没意思 |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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有的时候，老电影比现在的新电影有意思。
Sometimes old movies are more interesting than today's new ones.
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
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坐火车比坐飞机便宜得多，去飞机场也要花很多时间，所以，小商觉得坐火车比坐飞机好。
Taking the train is much cheaper than flying, and getting to the airport also takes a lot of time, so Xiao Shang thinks taking the train is better than flying.
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