Activities: Comparatives and superlatives: How to form and use them in Japanese?

Let’s start with practicing constructing comparison sentences. Build each sentence according to the instruction. All the necessary words are given. You can use the same word multiple times when necessary in each case. Then add the English translation below the Japanese sentence.

• Let’s talk about A in comparison with B.

  A
  イルカ iruka dolphin

  B
  シャチ shachi killer whale

  Word Bank
  小さい chiisai small	は wa
  より yori	です desu

  Japanese:

  English:

• Let’s compare A and B (there is no topic in the sentence).

  A
  キリン kirin giraffe

  B
  シカ shika deer

  Word Bank
  首が長い kubi ga nagai have a longer neck lit. neck is long	より yori
  です desu	のほうが no hō ga

  Japanese:

  English:

• Let’s make a negative comparison sentence about A.

  A
  サイ sai rhinoceros

  B
  ゾウ zō elephant

  Word Bank
  大きくない ōkikunai not big	は wa
  ほど hodo	です desu

  Japanese:

  English:

• Let’s say there is not much difference between A and B (no topic, but in that order).

  A
  こねこ koneko kitten

  B
  こいぬ koinu puppy

  Word Bank
  同じぐらい onaji gurai as [X] as…	も mo
  かわいい kawaii cute	です desu

  Japanese:

  English:

• Let’s build a question that asks which ranks the highest among A, B, and C (in that order).

  A
  ライオン raion lion

  B
  チーター chiitā cheetah

  C
  シマウマ shimauma zebra

  Word Bank
  早く走れます hayaku hashiremasu runs the fastest	では no naka de wa	と to	か ka
  いちばん kawaii	が ga	どれ dore

  Japanese:

  Note:
  The last と in the list is optional in this sentence because we have では.

  English:

The following questions are just for you! The answers, therefore, vary. The translations are not given, but you can refer to the word bank to figure out the meaning of each question. You can spice up your answers by adding an adverb of degree such as ずっと[zutto](much), かなり[kanari]( fairly), and すこし[sukoshi](a little) if you like!

• 今、すしとピザとどちらが食べたいですか。
  Ima, sushi to piza to dochira ga tabetai desu ka.
  Which do you want to eat now, sushi or pizza?

  Word Bank
  今 ima now	すし sushi sushi	ピザ piza pizza	食べたいです tabetai desu want to eat

  Possible answers include:
  すしのほうが食べたいです。[Sushi no hō ga tabetai desu. ](I want to eat sushi.)
  ピザのほうが食べたいです。[Piza no hō ga tabetai desu. ](I want to eat pizza.)
  どちらも食べたいです。[Dochira mo tabetai desu. ](I want to eat both.)
  どちらも食べたくないです。[Dochira mo tabetakunai desu. ](I don’t want to eat either of them.)

• ひらがなとかたかなとどちらがむずかしいですか。
  Hiragana to katakana to dochira ga muzukashii desu ka.
  Which is more difficult, hiragana or katakana?

  Word Bank
  ひらがな hiragana hiragana	かたかな katakana sushi	むずかしいです muzukashii desu is difficult

  Possible answers include:
  かたかなのほうがすこしむずかしいです。[Katakana no hō ga sukoshi muzukashii desu.](Katakana is a little more difficult.)
  どちらもむずかしいです。[Dochiramo muzukashii desu.](Both are difficult.)
  どちらもむずかしくないです。[Dochiramo muzukashikunai desu.](Neither is difficult.)
  どちらもかんたんです。[Dochira mo kantan desu.](Both are easy.)

• 今、どこへいちばん旅行に行きたいですか。
  Ima, doko e ichiban ryokō ni ikitai desu ka.
  Where would you most like to travel now?

  Word Bank
  今 ima now	旅行に ryokō ni for travel	行きたいです ikitai desu want to go

  Possible answers include:
  日本へいちばん行きたいです。[Nihon e ichiban ikitai desu.](I want to go to Japan the most.)
  海がきれいなところへ行きたいです。[Umi ga kireina tokoro e ikitai desu. ](I want to go somewhere with a beautiful ocean.)
  どこへも行きたくないです。[Doko e mo ikitaku nai desu. ](I don’t want to go anywhere.)
  

• テニスとゴルフと水泳のうちで、どれをいちばんやりたいですか。
  Tenisu to gorufu to suiei no naka de, dore o ichiban yaritai desu ka.
  Which of the two do you care to do the most, tennis, golf, or swimming?

  Word Bank
  テニス tenisu tennis	ゴルフ gorofu golf	水泳 suiei swimming	やりたいです yaritai desu want to play/do

  Possible answers include:
  テニスをいちばんやりたいです。[Tenisu o ichiban yaritai desu.](I want to play tennis the most.)
  どれもやりたいです。[Dore mo yaritai desu. ](I want to do all of them.)
  どれもやりたくないです。[Dore mo yaritakunai desu. ](I want to do none of them.)
  

• ともだちの中でだれがいちばんのんき者ですか。
  Tomodachi no naka de dare ga ichiban nonkimono desu ka.
  Who is the most carefree of your friends?

  Word Bank
  ともだち tomodachi friend	のんき者 nonkimono easygoing person

  Possible answers include:
  マイクがいちばんのんき者です。[Maiku ga ichiban nonkimono desu. ](Mike is the most easygoing person.)
  たぶん私です。[Tabun watashi desu. ](It’s probably me.)