Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

makiNG ComPariSoNS

33.3

or

NP 1 比 NP 2 AV 多了

NP 1 bǐ NP 2 AV duō le

NP 1 is much more AV than NP 2

今天比昨天冷多了。

Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng duō le.

Today is much colder than yesterday.

中文比英文难多了。

中文比英文難多了。

Zhōngwén bǐ Yīngwén nán duō le.

Chinese is much more difficult than English.

Note Intensifiers cannot occur before the adjectival verb in the 比 bh comparison pattern.

Say this Not this

今天比昨天冷得多。 *今天比昨天很冷。

Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng de duō. Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān hěn lěng.

Today is a lot colder than yesterday.

他比我用功得多。 *他比我非常用功。

Tā bǐ wǒ yònggōng de duō. Tā bǐ wǒ fēicháng yònggōng.

He is much more hardworking than I am.

The following pattern with 真 zhēn conveys a very similar meaning to the above patterns.

NP 1 真 比 NP 2 AV

NP 1 zhēn bǐ NP 2 AV

NP 1 is really more AV than NP 2

今天真比昨天冷。

Jīntiān zhēn bǐ zuótiān lěng.

Today is really much colder than yesterday.

中文真比英文难。

中文真比英文難。

Zhōngwén zhēn bǐ Yīngwén nán.

Chinese is really more difficult than English.

3.3.4.3 Noun phrase 1 is a little more aV than noun phrase 2
To indicate that one noun phrase is a little more AV than another noun phrase, say the following.

NP 1 比 NP 2 AV 一点儿/一點兒

NP 1 bǐ NP 2 AV yīdiǎr

NP 1 is a little more AV than NP 2

我们的房子比他们的小一点儿。

我們的房子比他們的小一點兒。

Wǒmen de fángzi bǐ tāmen de xiǎo yīdiǎr.

Our house is a little smaller than theirs.

哥哥比弟弟用功一点。

哥哥比弟弟用功一點。

Gēge bǐ dìdi yònggōng yīdiǎn.

Older brother is a little more hardworking than younger brother.