Study Resource: Summary of Japanese comparisons
This page summarizes all of the sentence structures commonly used in Japanese comparisons. For a full discussion of when and how to use each structure, check out our main post on making comparisons in Japanese.
Comparing two things that are different
The following Japanese structures are commonly used to compare two things that are different, or have a quality to different degrees.
Key Words | Common patterns |
|---|---|
より yori | Noun 1 は wa Noun 2 より yori Quality Meaning: Noun 1 is more [quality] than Noun 2. |
ほど〜ない hodo...nai | Noun 1 は wa Noun 2 ほど hodo Quality + ない[nai] Meaning: Noun 1 is not as [quality] as Noun 2. |
〜のほう(が) ...no hō (ga) | Noun 1 のほうが no hō ga Noun 2 より yori Quality Meaning: Noun 1 is more [quality] than Noun 2. |
Noun 2 より yori Noun 1 のほうが no hō ga Quality Meaning: Noun 1 is more [quality] than Noun 2. | |
どちら / (どっち) dochira / (dotchi) | Question Structure: N1 と to N2 と to では de wa どちら dochira のほうが no hō ga Quality Meaning: Which is [quality]? Noun 1 or Noun 2? |
Answer Structure: Noun のほうが no hō ga Quality Meaning: Noun is more [quality]. | |
ずっと zutto | Noun 1 のほうが no hō ga ずっと zutto Quality Meaning: Noun 1 is much more [quality] (than Noun 2). |
もっと motto | Noun 1 のほうが no hō ga もっと motto Quality Meaning: Noun 1 is even more [quality] (than Noun 2). |
Comparing two things that are the same
The following Japanese structures are commonly used to compare two things that are the same, or have a quality to the same degree.
Key Words | Common patterns |
|---|---|
〜と同じぐらい ...to onaji gurai | Noun 1 は wa Noun 2 と同じぐらい to onaji gurai Quality Meaning: Noun 1 is as [quality] as Noun 2. |
〜も〜も同じぐらい ...mo ...mo onaji gurai | Noun 1 も mo Noun 2 も同じぐらい mo onaji gurai Quality Meaning: Noun 1 and Noun 2 are as [quality] as each other. |
どちらも dochira mo | どちらも dochira mo Quality Meaning: Both are [quality]. |
どちらも dochira mo Quality + ない[nai] Meaning: Neither is [quality]. |
Comparing three or more things
The following Japanese structures are commonly used to compare three or more things.
Key Words | Common patterns |
|---|---|
〜 (の中) で ...(no naka) de | Location で de Meaning: (the most/least) at/in [location] |
Group / category の中で no naka de Meaning: (the most/least) out of [group/category] | |
いちばん ichiban | Noun は wa Group (の中) で (no naka) de いちばん ichiban Quality Meaning 1: Noun 1 is the most [quality] out of [group]. Meaning 2: Noun 1 is the most [quality] at/in [location] |
Question Structure: Group (の中) で (no naka) de Question word +が[ga] いちばん ichiban Quality か ka Meaning: Out of [group], which is the most [quality]? | |
Answer Structure: Noun が ga いちばん ichiban Quality Meaning: Noun is the most [quality]. | |
どれ dore | Noun 1 + と[to] Noun 2 + と[to] Noun 3 + と[to] のほうが no hō ga どれが dore ga いちばん ichiban Quality か ka Meaning: Among Nouns 1, 2, and 3, which is the most X? |
どれも dore mo | どれも dore mo Quality Meaning: All of them are [quality] |
どれも dore mo Quality + ない[nai] Meaning: None of them are [quality] |
