Lesson11: Making Comparisons in Japanese – AのほうがBより＿＿です (GENKI1 Lesson10)

In Japanese, you don’t use words like “-er” or “-est” to compare things. Instead, you use special particles and words that you place with nouns. This lesson will teach you two types of comparisons: comparing two items and comparing three or more.

Comparing Two Items: “A is more [adjective] than B”

To compare just two things, you use the particles 「のほうが」 (no hou ga) and 「より」 (yori). The structure is simple:

A のほうが B より [Adjective] です。

• A のほうが (A no hou ga) marks the item that is “more” of something. It’s often translated as “as for A, it’s more…”
• B より (B yori) marks the item that “than” A.

This structure allows you to directly say that one thing has a certain quality more than another.

Examples:

• 車 のほうが 自転車 より 速い です。 (Kuruma no hou ga jitensha yori hayai desu.)
  • A car is faster than a bicycle.
• 日本語 のほうが 英語 より 難しい です。 (Nihongo no hou ga eigo yori muzukashii desu.)
  • Japanese is more difficult than English.
• 私 は ラーメン より うどん のほうが 好き です。 (Watashi wa raamen yori udon no hou ga suki desu.)
  • I like Udon more than Ramen.

You can also ask which of two items is more [adjective] by using 「どちら/どっち」 (dochira/docchi), which means “which one.”

A と B と、どちら のほうが [Adjective] ですか。 (A to B to, dochira no hou ga [Adjective] desu ka.)

• 犬 と 猫 と、どちら のほうが 好き ですか。 (Inu to neko to, dochira no hou ga suki desu ka.)
  • Between dogs and cats, which do you like more?

Comparing Three or More Items: “A is the most [adjective]”

When you want to compare three or more items and say one is the “most” or “best”, you use 「いちばん」 (ichiban), which means “number one” or “the most.” You also use 「の中で」 (no naka de) to define the group you are comparing.

[Group] の中で A が いちばん [Adjective] です。

• [Group] の中で (no naka de) sets the context, meaning “among…” or “in…”
• A が (ga) marks the item that is the most.
• いちばん (ichiban) is the key word for “the most” or “the best.”

Examples:

• 家族 の中で 誰 が いちばん 背が高い ですか。 (Kazoku no naka de dare ga ichiban se ga takai desu ka.)
  • Who is the tallest in your family?
• 日本の 都市 の中で 東京 が いちばん 大きい です。 (Nihon no toshi no naka de Toukyou ga ichiban ookii desu.)
  • Among Japanese cities, Tokyo is the biggest.
• 果物 の中で 何 が いちばん 好き ですか。 (Kudamono no naka de nani ga ichiban suki desu ka.)
  • Among fruits, what do you like the most?

By using these simple patterns, you can express comparisons in Japanese just like a native speaker.