Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“than”
🎯 Primary Function
Used to indicate the standard of comparison when comparing two things (A is more X *than* B).
📋 Grammar Structure
[Noun 1] は [Noun 2] より [Adjective/Verb] です/ます。
OR
[Noun 1] より [Noun 2] の方が [Adjective/Verb] です/ます。
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Commonly used.
Informal Situations
Commonly used.
Written Language
Commonly used.
Spoken Language
Commonly used.
💡 Common Applications
Comparing two nouns with an adjective
To say “Noun A is more [Adjective] than Noun B”. Structure: Noun A は Noun B より Adjective です.
Example: 車は自転車より速いです。(Kuruma wa jitensha yori hayai desu.) – Cars are faster than bicycles.
Comparing two nouns, emphasizing the preferred one
To say “Comparing Noun A and Noun B, Noun B is more [Adjective/Verb]”. Structure: Noun A より Noun B の方が Adjective/Verb です/ます.
Example: 夏より冬の方が好きです。(Natsu yori fuyu no hō ga suki desu.) – Compared to summer, I like winter more (I like winter more than summer).
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Frequency
Very common in everyday Japanese when making comparisons.
Difficulty
Relatively easy for basic comparative use (N5/N4 level).
Example Sentences
この本はあの本より面白いです。
This book is more interesting than that book.
猫は犬より小さいです。
Cats are smaller than dogs.
日本語は英語より難しいですか。
Is Japanese more difficult than English?
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Placement of より
より always comes after the noun you are comparing against (the “than” item).
Example: (Correct) 私はあなたより背が高いです。(I am taller than you.)
(Incorrect) 私はよりあなた背が高いです。
Using の方が
When comparing two specific items, using の方が with the preferred item (the one that is “more” or “less” something) is very common and often sounds more natural, especially when asking or stating preferences.
Example: コーヒーよりお茶の方がよく飲みます。(Kōhī yori ocha no hō ga yoku nomimasu.) – Compared to coffee, I drink tea more often (I drink tea more often than coffee).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect particle with の方が
✅ Use が after の方, not は or を.
の方 itself acts like a noun phrase meaning “the side of~” or “the one of~”, so the subject particle が is needed to indicate it as the subject of the comparison.
❌ Mixing up the items being compared
✅ Remember the structure: Item A は Item B より…
The item *before* より is the standard of comparison, the item *after* は (or implied) is the one being described as more/less something *than* the standard.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Used with standard polite forms (です/ます) and also in informal speech. Neutral in politeness itself.
Social Situations: Appropriate for general comparisons in most social situations.
Regional Variations: The basic usage is standard across regions.
🔍 Subtle Differences
~より vs. ~のほうが
より introduces the standard of comparison (“than B”), while ~のほうが highlights the subject that is “more” or “less” something (“As for A, it is more…”). They are often used together: B より A の方が…
When to use: Use より after the item you are comparing *from*. Use の方が after the item that is “more” or “less”. Combining them (B より A の方が…) is very common.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
より is a particle and does not conjugate. It attaches directly to nouns.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced “yoh-ree”, similar to “yoru” (night) but with a sustained “i” sound.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of より as connecting the item being compared TO (B) with the characteristic (X), saying “more X, setting B as the standard”. “A is more X, *compared to* B.”
Practice Exercises
Fill in the blank: 日本語は英語（ ）難しいです。
が
より
と
へ
Choose the correct sentence:
私は兄方より背が高いです。
私は兄より方が背が高いです。
私は兄より背が高いです。
より兄私は背が高いです。
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