より
Meanings
- more than
- over
- than
- 比较级的用于比对的“比”
About this pattern
Explanation
より is a particle used to make comparisons. It marks the thing that is being compared against. The item before より is the reference point (the thing being compared to). The thing after より is often the other side of the comparison, frequently paired with ほうが to indicate which is more or less. It can also indicate the starting point or origin in time or space (from, since). In everyday speech, より is commonly used in concise comparisons without explicit verbs like 〜です/〜だ, especially with 〜ほうが, 〜より...のほうが, or after nouns and adjectives. Typical nuance: “Xより Yのほうが…” means “Y is more X than X” in meaning or “Y is X-er than X.” For time starting points, 〜より implies “from ~ onward.” When using with adjectives, the form can compare two adjectives or two nouns. Remember that the item after より often implies the thing that is being contrasted as more or less, so choose the following phrase accordingly.
Learn in context
Example sentences
Japanese is more difficult than English.
This book is easier to understand than that book.
This year is warmer than last year.
The meeting starts from 4 o'clock.
My house is farther than the station.
In terms of priority, speed matters more than quality.
Keep studying
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