Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有
比 (bǐ) and 没有 (méiyǒu) are the two basic comparison patterns. A 比 B + adjective says A is more than B, and A 没有 B + adjective says A is not as much as B.
✅ 他比我高。(He is taller than me.)
Pattern 2: A 没有 B + Adjective
Means: A is not as [adjective] as B.
✅ 我没有他高。(I am not as tall as him.)
Common mistake: 很/非常/太 never go inside a 比 sentence.
❌ 他比我很高。
✅ 他比我高。
更 and 还 DO belong there — 他比我更高 = 'he is even taller than me' — and you meet them in HSK 2. At HSK 1 the bare adjective says everything you need.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今天比昨天冷。 | Jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān lěng. | Today is colder than yesterday. | A (今天) + 比 + B (昨天) + Adj (冷) |
| 她比我高一点儿。 | Tā bǐ wǒ gāo yī diǎnr. | She is a little taller than me. | 可以在 adjective 后加 一点儿 to mean 'a little more' |
| 这个苹果没有那个大。 | Zhè gè píng guǒ méi yǒu nà gè dà. | This apple is not as big as that one. | 没有 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 and says the first is more of the quality than the second.
Structure: A + 比 + B + Adjective (+ amount)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 哥哥比我大三岁。 | Gē ge bǐ wǒ dà sān suì. | My older brother is three years older than me. |
| 北京比上海冷。 | Běi jīng bǐ Shàng hǎi lěng. | Beijing is colder than Shanghai. |
| 这个包比那个贵。 | Zhè ge bāo bǐ nà ge guì. | This bag is more expensive than that one. |
Not: 他比我很忙。 Never put 很, 太 or 非常 in a 比 sentence: 他比我忙。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, prepositions (引出对象).
比 is also explained in: Comparison with 比: A比B + adj/更/还 (HSK 2) · Extended Comparison Patterns: A比B V得Adj (HSK 3) · 比 extended: degree & verb phrases (HSK 4).
没有 (méi yǒu)
Says the first thing does not reach the level of the second.
Structure: A + 没有 + B + Adjective
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我没有哥哥高。 | Wǒ méi yǒu gē ge gāo. | I'm not as tall as my older brother. |
| 这家店没有那家便宜。 | Zhè jiā diàn méi yǒu nà jiā pián yi. | This shop is not as cheap as that one. |
| 我的汉语没有他的好。 | Wǒ de Hàn yǔ méi yǒu tā de hǎo. | My Chinese is not as good as his. |
Not: 我没有他很高。 Like 比, 没有 does not take 很: 我没有他高。
没有 is also explained in: The 有-Sentence: Possession and Existence (HSK 1) · 比 extended: degree & verb phrases (HSK 4) · 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 Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有
What does 比较句 (Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有) mean in Chinese?
比 (bǐ) and 没有 (méiyǒu) are the two basic comparison patterns. A 比 B + adjective says A is more than B, and A 没有 B + adjective says A is not as much as B. It is an HSK 1 grammar point.
How do you use 比较句 (Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有) in a sentence?
今天比昨天冷。 — Jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān lěng. — Today is colder than yesterday. A (今天) + 比 + B (昨天) + Adj (冷).
What do you need to know before 比较句 (Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有)?
Negation with 不 and 没 (HSK 1). 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 比较句 (Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有) lead to?
Comparison with 比 (HSK 2), Comparison with 跟 (HSK 2), Extended Comparison Patterns (HSK 3). Each of them names 比较句 (Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有) among its own prerequisites.
How do I say 'A is not taller than B' in Chinese?
You can say 他不比我高, which means he is not taller than me and may be the same height. To say he is clearly shorter, use 他没有我高。
Can I use 很 in a 比 sentence?
No. 很, 太 and 非常 are not allowed. Say 他比我高, and for 'even taller' use 更 or 还, which you learn at HSK 2.
Comparison Sentences with 比 and 没有 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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