比 + Number + 多 + Number
Reach for this when you want to compare two amounts and say exactly how much bigger one is — 'this is X more than that.' The amount of difference goes AFTER 多, not before. Use it for ages ('she's three years older'), prices ('this costs 50 yuan more'), heights, distances, scores. Everyday register, common in shopping, comparing test scores, talking about family ages, and any concrete numerical comparison.
Structure
A + 比 + B + 多 + Number + Measure Word + (Noun)
bǐ... duō...
How to Think About It
The whole structure is a sandwich: 比 introduces what you're comparing to, then 多 (or 大, 高, 贵 etc.) is the adjective, and the exact difference comes right after. English says 'three years older'; Chinese says 'older three years.' The number always follows the adjective. Once that order clicks, comparisons stop sounding scrambled.
Examples
我哥哥比我大三岁。
Wǒ gē ge bǐ wǒ dà sān suì.
My older brother is three years older than me.
这件衣服比那件贵五十块。
Zhè jiàn yī fu bǐ nà jiàn guì wǔ shí kuài.
This piece of clothing is fifty yuan more expensive than that one.
今天比昨天热五度。
Jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān rè wǔ dù.
Today is five degrees hotter than yesterday.
我们班比他们班多两个学生。
Wǒ men bān bǐ tā men bān duō liǎng gè xué shēng.
Our class has two more students than their class.
Common Mistake
Learners put the number BEFORE 多 because English says 'three more.' Chinese reverses the order: the adjective comes first, then the quantity. The difference always lands after 多, 大, 高, 贵, etc.
我比他三岁大。
我比他大三岁。
Don't Confuse With
A 比 B + 更/还 + Adjective
Use 更/还 when you don't want to specify the exact difference — just say 'A is even more X than B.' Use the number pattern when you can name the amount.
A 没有 B + Adjective
'A is not as X as B.' Use this to express the opposite direction. The 比 + number pattern only states a positive difference; you can't insert a number into 没有.
A 跟 B 一样 + Adjective
'A is as X as B' — equal comparison. Use this when there's no difference. 比 is for inequality only.
Practice
Fill in: 我姐姐比我____五岁。
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大
Arrange: 比 / 我 / 高 / 他 / 十厘米
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他比我高十厘米。
Translate to Chinese: This book is twenty yuan cheaper than that one.
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这本书比那本便宜二十块。
Translate to Chinese: My dad is two years older than my mom.
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我爸爸比我妈妈大两岁。
Use 比 + number to compare yourself to a family member.
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我比我弟弟大四岁。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode. Press play to hear the sentence:
比前一年多了八倍多。
were over eight times the previous year.
Pindou Pixel Beads Hit 37B Xiaohongshu ViewsElementary
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 比 + Number + 多 + Number in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.