HSK 4 grammar · new HSK syllabus
不如 and 跟…相比: comparisons
A 不如 B = A isn’t as good as B. 跟…相比 = compared with….
Structure
- A + 不如 + B (+ adjective)
- 跟 / 和 + A + 相比，…
How it works
A 不如 B means A is not as good as B. An adjective can follow: 坐公交车不如坐地铁快.
不如 also suggests a better choice: 与其等，不如走 / 我们不如明天去.
跟…相比 (compared with) introduces a comparison: 跟去年相比，今年冷多了.
Examples
-
我的汉语不如他好。
Wǒ de Hànyǔ bùrú tā hǎo.
My Chinese isn’t as good as his.
-
坐公交车不如坐地铁快。
Zuò gōngjiāochē bùrú zuò dìtiě kuài.
The bus isn’t as fast as the subway.
-
外面太冷了，我们不如在家看电影。
Wàimiàn tài lěng le, wǒmen bùrú zài jiā kàn diànyǐng.
It’s too cold out. We might as well watch a film at home.
-
跟去年相比，今年的学生多了很多。
Gēn qùnián xiāngbǐ, jīnnián de xuéshēng duō le hěn duō.
Compared with last year, there are many more students this year.
-
和城市相比，农村的空气好多了。
Hé chéngshì xiāngbǐ, nóngcūn de kōngqì hǎoduō le.
Compared with the city, the air in the countryside is much better.
Words in these examples (31)
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Chinese (language) | HSK 1 |
| 不如 | bùrú | not as good as | HSK 4 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 好 | hǎo | good; well | HSK 1 |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit; to take (bus, plane) | HSK 1 |
| 公交车 | gōngjiāochē | bus | HSK 2 |
| 地铁 | dìtiě | subway; metro | HSK 2 |
| 快 | kuài | fast; quick; soon | HSK 2 |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside | HSK 2 |
| 太 | tài | too; extremely | HSK 1 |
| 冷 | lěng | cold | HSK 1 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we; us | HSK 1 |
| 在 | zài | to be at; at; in; (before a verb) in the middle of doing | HSK 1 |
| 家 | jiā | home; family; (measure word for shops and companies) | HSK 1 |
| 看 | kàn | to look; to watch; to read | HSK 1 |
| 电影 | diànyǐng | film; movie | HSK 1 |
| 跟 | gēn | with; to follow | HSK 2 |
| 去年 | qùnián | last year | HSK 1 |
| 相比 | xiāngbǐ | compared with | HSK 4 |
| 今年 | jīnnián | this year | HSK 1 |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student | HSK 1 |
| 多 | duō | many; much; (in questions) how | HSK 1 |
| 很 | hěn | very | HSK 1 |
| 和 | hé | and; with | HSK 1 |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city | HSK 3 |
| 农村 | nóngcūn | countryside; village | HSK 4 |
| 空气 | kōngqì | air | HSK 4 |
| 好多 | hǎoduō | a lot of; many | HSK 3 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我不如他很高。
✓我不如他高。
No 很 in a comparison.
-
✗相比去年，今年…
✓跟去年相比，今年…
The usual order is 跟 + A + 相比.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 我做饭 我妈妈做得好。
2. 跟上个月 ，这个月忙多了。
3. 下雨了，我们 明天再去吧。