比...+Adjective
Use this to compare two things on a single quality: 'A is [more] adjective than B.' 比 is the comparison preposition that names the thing you are measuring against. The adjective comes after the second noun, and importantly — no 很 in front of it. This is the basic comparison frame every Chinese learner needs by week two.
Structure
[A] 比 [B] + [ADJECTIVE]
[A] bǐ [B] + [ADJ]
How to Think About It
Think of 比 as a placeholder for 'compared to.' Once 比 is in the sentence, the adjective on the right automatically means 'MORE [adj]' — Chinese does not need a separate word for 'more.' That is why 我比他高 already means 'I am taller than him,' not 'I am tall, he is also.' The kicker: inside a 比 comparison, you cannot put 很/非常/特别 before the adjective. To intensify, you use 还/更 before the adjective or 得多/多了 after it.
Examples
我哥哥比我高。
wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gāo.
My older brother is taller than I am.
今天比昨天冷。
jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng.
It's colder today than yesterday.
这本书比那本书有意思。
zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn shū yǒu yìsi.
This book is more interesting than that one.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 很 in normal positive sentences (他高 = he is tall) but then accidentally KEEP 很 in comparisons, producing 我比他很高. Inside 比, the adverb 很 is ungrammatical. The fix is either to drop it (我比他高) or to use a comparison-compatible intensifier (我比他高得多).
我比他很高。
我比他高。
Don't Confuse With
A 没有 B + Adjective
Negative comparison — 'A is not as [adj] as B.' (我没有他高 = I'm not as tall as him). Use 没有 to flip 比 to the opposite direction.
A 和 B 一样 + Adjective
Equality — 'A is as [adj] as B' (我和他一样高). Use when the two are equal, not when one exceeds the other.
更 + Adjective
Standalone intensifier without 比 (他更高 = he is even taller). Use 更 inside 比 sentences to emphasize the gap: 我比他更高.
Practice
Fill the blank: 我____他大两岁。
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比
Fill the blank: 北京比上海____。
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冷
Arrange: 比 / 这件 / 那件 / 衣服 / 贵
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这件衣服比那件贵。
Translate to Chinese: My phone is newer than his.
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我的手机比他的新。
Write a sentence comparing two things using 比.
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中文比英文难。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: