Mandarin · Chapter 5 · Lesson 14 · Grammar primer
Comparatives: 比, 比较, 最, 跟…一样
A 比 B + adjective for 'more than'. 比较 for 'relatively'. 最 for 'most'. 跟/和…一样 for 'same as'. The patterns side by side.
The short version
The negative of 比 (bǐ) is not 不比 (bù bǐ)
A 比 (bǐ) comparison takes a bare adjective with no 很 (hěn): 我比他高 (wǒ bǐ tā gāo). To flip it you need a different frame entirely, 没有 (méi yǒu)…那么 (nà me): 我没有他那么高 (wǒ méi yǒu tā nà me gāo). The obvious-looking 不比 (bù bǐ) sounds genuinely odd in Mandarin, and it is exactly the form learners reach for instinctively.
我没有他那么高。 Wǒ méi yǒu tā nà me gāo.
That's the gist. The full article goes deeper - more examples, the edge cases, the why - and the practice below scores like a vocabulary session and earns the same XP.
Read the full article · 4 min readPractice
Practise this lesson
24-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
New words in this lesson
Mandarin · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 14 of 21 in this chapter