v., prep.
To stand side by side with another, comparing the two. To compare, contrast, or compete; as a preposition, marks the standard in a comparison ("than"). Two mirrored figures (匕匕) placed side by side, weighed against each other.
比
Common Usage & Traps
- 比他高 — taller than him
- 比现在 — than now / compared to now
- 比一比 — compare (a bit) / have a quick comparison
- 比老电影有意思 — more interesting than old movies
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比他很高比他高 / 比他高得多English says 'much taller than,' so learners jam 很 in after 比. But 比 is already doing the comparing, so the adjective stays bare. For a big difference, use 得多 or 多了 instead.
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我比他不高我不比他高 / 我没有他高The 不 must sit before 比, not after it. 我不比他高 means 'I'm not taller than him.' If you actually mean 'not as tall as him,' that's 我没有他高.
Why does 他比我高 sound fine but 他比我很高 sound broken?
比 already handles the comparison, so 很 has nothing left to do there.
比 is like a see-saw: it already marks that two things are being weighed against each other. So the adjective after 比 arrives bare — 他比我高, no 很 needed. Slap 很 on top and native ears hear you marking the same comparison twice, which just sounds wrong. Want to say 'much taller'? Reach for 比我高得多 or 比我高多了, not 比我很高. “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 movies.) ── [《你喜欢看老电影吗？》](/read/do-you-like-old-movies#s16)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Basic comparison | 他比我高 | 他比我很高 |
| Saying 'much more' | 他比我高得多 | 他比我很多高 |
| Plain statement, no 比 | 他很高 | (比 saves 很 from clashing) |
How do you say 'he is not as tall as me' — is it 他不比我高 or 他没有我高?
Use 没有 for 'not as ... as'; 不比 only means 'not more than.'
没有他高 literally says 'doesn't have his height' — it sets a lower bar on the whole scale. 我不比他高 is narrower: it only denies that you're the taller one, so he could be equal to you. Pick 没有 when you mean genuinely 'less than,' and 不比 when you just mean 'not exceeding.'
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Not as tall as (lower) | 我没有他高 | 我不比他高 (for this meaning) |
| Not taller than (could be equal) | 我不比他高 | 我比他不高 |
| Where the 不 goes | 我不比他高 (before 比) | 我比他不高 (after 比) |
What is 比 doing in 我们比一比, where it clearly isn't the word 'than'?
As a real verb, 比 means 'to compare'; 比一比 is just its quick, casual form.
比 has a double life. As a preposition it means 'than,' as in 他比我高. But it's also a full verb meaning 'to compare,' and there you can double it: 比一比, 比一下, 我们比比. The doubling softens it into something light and brief — like saying 'let's have a quick compare' instead of a formal comparison.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 'than' (preposition) | 他比我高 | — |
| 'to compare' (verb) | 我们比一比 / 比一下 | 我们很比 (比 isn't a state here) |
| Casual vs bare | 比一比, quick and friendly | 我们比, sounds cut off |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
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。
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。
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