Dictionary › 不如

不如

bù rú

Old HSK 5 HSK 3.0 level 4 2-character word

不如 (bù rú) means "not as good as; better to". It is an HSK 3.0 level 4 word, and was HSK 5 in the old six-level list.

What 不如 means

1. not equal to; not as good as; inferior to
2. it would be better to

How 不如 is used in grammar

不如 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• 没有/不如: negative comparisons (HSK 4)

The characters in 不如

• 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
• 如rúas; as if; such as

Example sentences

• 你不如我。
  You are inferior to me.

Words starting with 不如

• 不如人意bù rú rén yìleaving much to be desired; unsatisfactory; undesirable

Words containing 不如

• 还不如hái bù rúto be better off ...; might as well ...
• 言教不如身教yán jiào bù rú shēn jiàoExplaining in words is not as good as teaching by example (idiom). Action speaks louder…
• 人算不如天算rén suàn bù rú tiān suànman proposes, God disposes (idiom); one's plans can be derailed by unforeseen events
• 求人不如求己qiú rén bù rú qiú jǐif you want sth done well, do it yourself (idiom)
• 药补不如食补yào bǔ bù rú shí bǔthe benefits of medicine are not as great as those of good nutrition
• 闻名不如见面wén míng bù rú jiàn miànknowing sb by their reputation can't compare to meeting them in person (idiom)
• 请将不如激将qǐng jiàng bù rú jī jiànglit. to dispatch a general is not as effective as to excite a general…
• 耳闻不如目见ěr wén bù rú mù jiànseeing sth for oneself is better than hearing about it from others

Where 不如 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Necessity, Obligation & Avoidance (HSK 5), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 5 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read bù rú correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.