比 extended: degree & verb phrases
Beyond basic 比 A B adj, HSK-4 extends the pattern in three directions:
1. Degree modifiers (how much more/less):
- A 比 B adj 多了 / 得多 = much more
- A 比 B adj 一点 / 一些 = a little more
2. Verb-phrase comparison (how someone does something):
- A + V + 得比 + B + adj (多了) = A does sth faster/better than B
- e.g. 他跑步跑得比我快得多。
3. Negative comparison (A is not as … as B):
- A 没有 B (那么/这么) adj
❌ 他比我很高。(很 cannot modify adj in 比 sentences — use 得多/一点)
✅ 他比我高得多。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今天比昨天冷多了，要多穿一件衣服。 | Jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān lěng duō le, yào duō chuān yī jiàn yī fu. | Today is much colder than yesterday — put on an extra layer. | 多了 follows adj directly in 比 sentence; 很 cannot be used here |
| 他跑步跑得比我快得多，我根本跟不上。 | Tā pǎo bù pǎo de bǐ wǒ kuài de duō, wǒ gēn běn gēn bu shàng. | He runs much faster than I do — I simply can't keep up. | Verb-phrase comparison: V(跑步) + V得 + 比 + reference + adj + 得多 |
| 这本书没有那本书贵，但内容更丰富。 | Zhè běn shū méi yǒu nà běn shū guì, dàn nèi róng gèng fēng fù. | This book is not as expensive as that one, but the content is richer. | 没有 + reference + adj = negative comparison (A is not as adj as B) |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list 比 extended among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
比 extended is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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