"Apples are more expensive than bananas." "I'm not as tall as my brother." Comparisons are a staple of everyday conversation. Japanese handles them with two particles: より for positive comparisons (A is more than B), and ほど for negative comparisons (A is not as much as B).
より: A Is More Than B (Positive)
A は B より 〜
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 日本ではバナナはリンゴより高いです。 | In Japan, bananas are more expensive than apples. |
| 東京は大阪より大きいです。 | Tokyo is bigger than Osaka. |
| 日本語は英語より難しいです。 | Japanese is harder than English. |
Breaking It Down
Using the first sentence:
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| バナナは | Bananas (topic) |
| リンゴより | More than apples |
| 高いです | Are expensive |
Together: Bananas are more expensive than apples.
Where より Goes
より attaches to the thing being compared against. In "A is more than B," B gets より:
A は B より Adjective
ほど: A Is Not as Much as B (Negative)
A は B ほど 〜ない
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 私は兄ほど背が高くないです。 | I'm not as tall as my older brother. |
| 大阪は東京ほど大きくないです。 | Osaka isn't as big as Tokyo. |
| 英語は日本語ほど難しくないです。 | English isn't as hard as Japanese. |
ほど Must Pair with Negative
The adjective/verb after ほど must be in negative form:
- 高い → 高くないです
- 大きい → 大きくないです
- 難しい → 難しくないです
ほど + positive is wrong. You can't say
「私は兄ほど背が高いです」
より and ほど Are Mirror Images
The same comparison can be expressed with either より or ほど — just from different angles:
| より (Positive) | ほど (Negative) |
|---|---|
| 東京は大阪より大きいです。 | 大阪は東京ほど大きくないです。 |
| Tokyo is bigger than Osaka. | Osaka isn't as big as Tokyo. |
Same meaning, different subjects. Remember:
- より → positive (A is more than B)
- ほど → negative (A is not as much as B)
Common Comparison Adjectives
Adjectives frequently used in N5-level comparisons:
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Negative Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 高い | たかい | Expensive/tall | 高くない |
| 安い | やすい | Cheap | 安くない |
| 大きい | おおきい | Big | 大きくない |
| 小さい | ちいさい | Small | 小さくない |
| 難しい | むずかしい | Difficult | 難しくない |
| 簡単 | かんたん | Easy | 簡単ではない |
| 暑い | あつい | Hot | 暑くない |
Summary
- A は B より 〜 = A is more ~ than B (positive)
- A は B ほど 〜ない = A is not as ~ as B (negative)
- より and ほど are just different perspectives on the same comparison
- ほど must be followed by a negative form
Practice Questions
Q1. Translate: "Japanese is harder than English."
Show Answer
日本語は英語より難しいです。
日本語 (topic) + は + 英語 (compared against) + より + 難しいです.
Q2. Rewrite the previous sentence using ほど (from English's perspective).
Show Answer
英語は日本語ほど難しくないです。
English is not as hard as Japanese. ほど must be followed by the negative form 難しくない.
Q3. What's wrong with 「私は兄ほど背が高いです」?
Show Answer
The problem is using a positive form after ほど. ほど must be followed by a negative.
Correct version: 私は兄ほど背が高くないです。 (I'm not as tall as my older brother.)