The Measuring Tape on the Scale: Tacking precise differences to the end.
Place the exact margin or difference right after the adjective: 他比我大两岁 (He is two years older than me).
Place the exact margin or difference right after the adjective: 他比我大两岁 (He is two years older than me).
比 already means 'more,' so adding 很 is like saying 'more very tall.'
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparing two things | A 比 B + adjective | 他比我高 | 他比我很高 |
| Comparing, big gap | A 比 B + adjective + 得多 | 他比我高得多 | 他比我很高 |
| Just describing one person | subject + 很 + adjective | 他很高 | 他高 |
得多 always comes after the adjective — think 'taller-by-a-lot,' never 'by-a-lot taller.'
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saying 'much taller' | A 比 B + adjective + 得多 | 他比我高得多 | 他比我得多高 |
| Saying 'a bit taller' | A 比 B + adjective + 一点儿 | 他比我高一点儿 | 他比我一点儿高 |
一点儿 means a tiny gap; 得多 means a huge gap — pick on purpose.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small gap | A 比 B + adjective + 一点儿 | 他比我高一点儿 | 他比我高得多 (overstates the gap) |
| Big gap | A 比 B + adjective + 得多 | 他比我高得多 | 他比我高一点儿 (understates the gap) |
Both work — 得多 sounds standard, 很多 sounds casual; never stack them.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard way | A 比 B + adjective + 得多 | 坐火车比坐飞机便宜得多 | 坐火车比坐飞机便宜得多很多 |
| Casual spoken way | A 比 B + adjective + 很多 | 坐火车比坐飞机便宜很多 | 坐火车比坐飞机便宜很得多 |
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.
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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