A 比 B + Adjective
This is the core comparison sentence in Chinese: 'A is more [adjective] than B.' Drop the two things you're comparing on either side of 比, put the adjective at the end, and you're done — no 'than,' no copula, no 'more.' 比 carries all the comparative weight by itself. You'll use this everywhere, from prices to speeds to weather, from your second week of Chinese to your last.
Structure
[A] 比 [B] [ADJECTIVE]
[A] bǐ [B] [ADJ]
How to Think About It
比 is the comparison itself, not 'than.' It already contains the idea 'more.' That's why you never say 比……更 or 比……很 in basic comparisons — the adjective stands bare. To add a specific amount, you attach it after the adjective (高一点, 贵很多, 大三岁), never before it.
Examples
我哥哥比我高。
Wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gāo.
My older brother is taller than me.
今天比昨天冷。
Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng.
Today is colder than yesterday.
这个手机比那个便宜一点。
Zhège shǒujī bǐ nàge piányi yìdiǎn.
This phone is a little cheaper than that one.
Common Mistake
Learners stick 很 or 更 in front of the adjective, copying English 'more.' In a 比 sentence, the adjective takes no degree adverb in front — the comparison is already there. Quantities like 一点 or 很多 go after.
今天比昨天很冷。
今天比昨天冷。
Don't Confuse With
A 没有 B (这么/那么) Adjective
Use this for the opposite direction — A is less [adj] than B. The 比 sentence can't be negated with 不比 in the same neutral way.
A 跟 B 一样 + Adjective
Pick 一样 when the two things are equal. 比 is for unequal comparison only.
A 更 + Adjective
更 means 'even more' but doesn't introduce a benchmark. Use 更 when B is implied by context; use 比 when you need to name B explicitly.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 中国___美国大。
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比
Fill in the blank: 弟弟比哥哥___。 (younger)
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小
Arrange: 比 / 贵 / 这本书 / 那本书
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这本书比那本书贵。
Translate to Chinese: My car is faster than his car.
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我的车比他的车快。
Write a sentence using A 比 B + adj to compare two cities you know.
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上海比北京热。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 8 Fluentide episodes:
萨维比基普图姆还快。
它比很多东西都贵。
他比那个老板还要坏。