比 extended: degree & verb phrases
The extended 比 comparison adds the size of the difference and a wider range of forms to the basic A比B+adjective. HSK 4 covers amounts like 多了 and 得多, comparing how people do actions, and the negative 没有.
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) |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
比 (bǐ)
Compares two things; the difference can be added after the adjective.
Structure: A + 比 + B + adjective (+ amount)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 今年夏天比去年热一点儿。 | Jīn nián xià tiān bǐ qù nián rè yì diǎnr. | This summer is a little hotter than last year. |
| 我哥哥比我高十公分。 | Wǒ gē ge bǐ wǒ gāo shí gōng fēn. | My older brother is ten centimetres taller than me. |
| 他说汉语说得比我流利。 | Tā shuō hàn yǔ shuō de bǐ wǒ liú lì. | He speaks Chinese more fluently than I do. |
Not: 他比我很高。 Do not put 很 after 比. Say how much with 得多 or 一点儿: 他比我高得多.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, prepositions (引出对象).
比 is also explained in: Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有 (HSK 1) · Comparison with 比: A比B + adj/更/还 (HSK 2) · Extended Comparison Patterns: A比B V得Adj (HSK 3).
得多 (de duō)
Placed after the adjective to say the difference is large.
Structure: A + 比 + B + adjective + 得多
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 坐地铁比开车快得多。 | Zuò dì tiě bǐ kāi chē kuài de duō. | Taking the subway is much faster than driving. |
| 这个房间比那个大得多。 | Zhè gè fáng jiān bǐ nà gè dà de duō. | This room is much bigger than that one. |
| 今天的作业比昨天少得多。 | Jīn tiān de zuò yè bǐ zuó tiān shǎo de duō. | Today's homework is much less than yesterday's. |
Not: 他比我高多得。 The order is adjective first, then 得多: 他比我高得多.
得多 is also explained in: Quantity Complements: Action Count and Comparison Degree (HSK 2).
没有 (méiyǒu)
Makes the negative comparison: A is not as adjective as B.
Structure: A + 没有 + B (+ 这么/那么) + adjective
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我的汉语没有你的好。 | Wǒ de hàn yǔ méi yǒu nǐ de hǎo. | My Chinese is not as good as yours. |
| 这里的冬天没有北京冷。 | Zhè lǐ de dōng tiān méi yǒu běi jīng lěng. | Winter here is not as cold as in Beijing. |
| 弟弟没有哥哥那么爱运动。 | Dì di méi yǒu gē ge nà me ài yùn dòng. | My younger brother is not as fond of sports as my older brother. |
Not: 这本书没有那本书更便宜。 After 没有 use a bare adjective, not 更 or 很: 这本书没有那本书便宜.
没有 is also explained in: Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有 (HSK 1) · The 有-Sentence: Possession and Existence (HSK 1) · 没有/不如: negative comparisons (HSK 4).
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.
Questions about 比 extended
What does 比字句进阶 (比 extended) mean in Chinese?
The extended 比 comparison adds the size of the difference and a wider range of forms to the basic A比B+adjective. HSK 4 covers amounts like 多了 and 得多, comparing how people do actions, and the negative 没有. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 比字句进阶 (比 extended) in a sentence?
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.
What do you need to know before 比字句进阶 (比 extended)?
Extended Comparison Patterns (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 比字句进阶 (比 extended) lead to?
没有/不如 (HSK 4). Each of them names 比字句进阶 (比 extended) among its own prerequisites.
Can I say 比 and 很 together?
No. 比 already makes the sentence a comparison, so 很 is dropped. To say how big the gap is, use 得多, 多了 or 一点儿: 这个比那个贵多了.
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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