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↔️ 30. Comparison・Contrast
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Check the brief grammar notes and examples below for your review.

Grammar Note
Comparative
⚫️ Noun-1 は Noun-2 より Adjective です
meaning : Noun-1 is more … than Noun-2.You pick up something ( Noun-1 ) as a topic, and compare its degree with another thing ( Noun-2 ).
“より” is used to compare 2 things.
ichirō [wa] jirō [yori] se [ga] takai-desu.
( Ichiro is taller than Jiro. )
hokkaidō [wa] tōkyō [yori] samui-desu.
( Hokkaido is colder than Tokyo.
⚫️ Noun-1 より Noun-2 のほうが
meaning : Noun-2 is more … than Noun-1.You pick up 2 things to compare their degree, and you say one of those is “more … ” or “less … ” than another one.
watashi [wa] yama [yori] umi [no] hō [ga] suki-desu.
( I like sea more than mountains. )
Question & Answer
kōhī [to] kōcha [to] dochira [ga] suki-desuka?
( Which do you like coffee or tea? )
B : コーヒーのほうが ( こうちゃより ) すきです。
kōhī [no] hō [ga] ( kōcha [yori] ) suki-desu.
( I prefer coffee. )
⚫️ Noun-1 は Noun-2 ほど … ません
meaning : Noun-1 is not as … as Noun-2.The degree of 2 things is not much different, but the degree of “Noun-1” can not reach the degree of “Noun-2”.
toronto [wa] montoriōru [hodo] samu-kunaidesu.
( Toronto is not as cold as Montreal. )
It should not be used to compare things which are completely different degree.
( Fillet steak is not as expensive as a house. )
kuruma [wa] ie [hodo] taka-kunaidesu.
( A car is not as expensive as a house. )
Both a car and a house is expensive
Superlative
⚫️ Noun が いちばん Adjective です
meaning : Noun is the most …‘いちばん’ means ‘the most’ or ‘the best’.
watashi [no] inu [ga] ichiban kawaī-desu.
( My dog is the cutest. )
” … で” is used, when you say about the best “of all”. This “all” means the whole thing that it cannot be divided.
watashi [no] inu [ga] sekai [de] ichiban kawaī-desu.
( My dog is the cutest in the world. )
ichirō [wa] kurasu [de] ichiban ashi [ga] hayai-desu.
( Ichiro is the fastest in the class. )
” … のなかで” is used, when you say about the best from several things.
watashitachi san-nin [no] naka [de] ichirō [ga] ichiban ashi [ga] hayai-desu.
( Ichiro is the fastest among 3 of us. )

Let’s say it in Japanese !
Let’s practice speaking!
Look at the English sentences and try to say them in Japanese. Click “answer” to check the correct sentence and practice with the audio.
I like a yellow bag more than a green bag.
A : Which do you like Udon noodle or Soba noodle?
B : I prefer Udon noodle.
Today is not as hot as yesterday.
The highest mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji.
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