Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Compared to, in comparison with
🎯 Primary Function
To state a comparison between one noun or nominalized phrase and another, highlighting a difference or similarity relative to the first element.
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun/Noun Phrase + に比べて (にくらべて)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Commonly used in formal reports, academic writing, and presentations.
Informal Situations
Frequently used in daily conversations to make comparisons.
Written Language
Very common in written language for analytical and descriptive purposes.
Spoken Language
Widely used in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Comparing two or more people or objects based on a specific characteristic.
Used to highlight how one item differs from another in terms of size, price, quality, ability, etc.
Example: この車は前の車に比べて、燃費がいい。 (Kono kuruma wa mae no kuruma ni kurabete, nenpi ga ii.) – Compared to the previous car, this car has better fuel efficiency.
Comparing situations, conditions, or time periods.
Used to contrast different states or periods, such as weather, economy, or past vs. present.
Example: 去年に比べて、今年は雪が少ない。 (Kyonen ni kurabete, kotoshi wa yuki ga sukunai.) – Compared to last year, there is little snow this year.
Comparing statistical data or survey results.
Often used in reports or discussions involving data analysis to show differences between groups or trends.
Example: 男性に比べて、女性の方が平均寿命が長い。 (Dansei ni kurabete, josei no hō ga heikin jumyō ga nagai.) – Compared to men, women have a longer average lifespan.
Frequency
Very common and highly useful in daily Japanese.
Difficulty
N3
Example Sentences
去年(きょねん)に比(くら)べて、今年(ことし)は雨(あめ)が少(すく)ない。
Compared to last year, there is less rain this year.
東京(とうきょう)は大阪(おおさか)に比(くら)べて、物価(ぶっか)が高(たか)い。
Compared to Osaka, prices are high in Tokyo.
兄(あに)に比(くら)べて、弟(おとうと)は背(せ)が高(たか)い。
Compared to my older brother, my younger brother is tall.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Sets the reference point for comparison.
The noun preceding に比べて is the item/state used as the standard against which something else is measured.
Example: AはBに比べてXだ。 (A is X compared to B.) Here, B is the standard.
Highlights differences or relative states.
Used to emphasize how the subject of the sentence differs from the reference point in a specific characteristic.
Example: この部屋は前の部屋に比べて広い。 (Kono heya wa mae no heya ni kurabete hiroi.) – Compared to the previous room, this room is spacious.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using に比べて when a simple “more than” comparison is sufficient using より.
✅ Use より (yori) when the emphasis is simply on one item having “more” of a quality than another, without necessarily needing to explicitly state “compared to X”.
AはBより大きいです。(A is bigger than B.) – This is a direct comparison. AはBに比べて大きいです。(Compared to B, A is big.) – This emphasizes B as the reference point.
❌ Confusing it with と比べて (to kurabete).
✅ While often interchangeable, に比べて is more standard for general comparative statements, while と比べて can sometimes imply a more direct, side-by-side comparison or evaluation.
Stick to に比べて for general comparisons unless there’s a specific reason to use と比べて (e.g., comparing two reports side-by-side).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. Suitable for general use in various contexts.
Social Situations: Applicable in most social situations where objective or subjective comparisons are made.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese across all regions.
🔍 Subtle Differences
に比べて (ni kurabete) vs より (yori)
に比べて explicitly marks the item being compared *to* as the subject of the に比べて clause. より follows the item being compared *against*.
When to use: Use に比べて when the structure is “Compared to X, Y is Z”. Use より when the structure is “Y is more Z than X”.
に比べて (ni kurabete) vs ほど～ない (hodo ~ nai)
に比べて is for general comparison showing difference, superiority, or inferiority. ほど～ない specifically means “not as… as Y”.
When to use: Use に比べて for statements like “Compared to X, Y is tall/short/expensive/cheap”. Use ほど～ない for “Y is not as tall/short/expensive/cheap as X”.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
This is a fixed phrase based on the て form of the verb 比べる (kuraberu). It directly attaches to a noun or nominalized phrase.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce に (ni) clearly. 比べて (kurabete) uses the standard pronunciation for the verb 比べる (kuraberu) in the て form.
🧠 Memory Tips
Remember 比べる (kuraberu) means “to compare”. に (ni) marks the object of comparison. So, Noun + に 比べて means “Comparing to Noun…”.
Practice Exercises
日本(にほん)の夏(なつ)はヨーロッパの夏(なつ)（ ）、湿気(しっけ)が多(おお)いです。
としても
にしても
に比べて
に応(おう)じて
このゲームは前作(ぜんさく)（ ）、グラフィックがすごくきれいです。
にしては
に比べて
につれて
に加(くわ)えて
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