Comparing Things: より, のほうが and いちばん
Japanese adjectives never change form — there is no -er and no -est. Little words like より, のほうが and いちばん do all the comparing for you, and in this chapter you'll learn the complete JLPT N5 comparison toolkit.
No -er, no -est
English builds comparison into the adjective: old, older, oldest. Japanese never touches the adjective. 古い is "old", "older" and "oldest" all at once — the words around it tell you which one you're hearing. That's brilliant news: every adjective you learned in the last two chapters is already a comparative and a superlative.
You only need three small tools:
- より — "than": marks the thing that loses the comparison.
- のほうが — "the ~ one": marks the winner.
- いちばん — "number one": turns any adjective into "the most ~".
Listen: comparing things on the street
より and のほうが in a real comparison conversation.
Meeraコンビニと食堂と...
konbini to shokudō to...
Between the convenience store and the canteen...
Kyleどれが一番と近いですか？
dore ga ichiban chikai desu ka?
which is closer?
Meeraコンビニのほうが...
konbini no hō ga...
The convenience store...
Meera食堂より近いですよね
shokudō yori chikai desu yone
is closer than the canteen
Listen: the best
いちばん — picking the best of all, at the cafe.
Meeraわ～おいしいですね
Wā...Oishī desu ne
Wow! It is delicious
Kyle当たり前ですよ
Atarimae desu yo
Obviously
Kyleうちのたこ焼きはこの町では一番ですから
Uchi no takoyaki wa kono machi dewa ichiban desu kara
Our takoyakis are the best downtown!
Meeraへえ？そうですか？
Hē? Sō desu ka?
Oh! Really?
AはBより～です — A is more ~ than B
より attaches to the thing that loses the comparison — it means "than" or "compared to". Everything else is a sentence you already know: take A は ～です and slot B より in front of the adjective. The adjective itself stays exactly the same.
この車はあの車より新しいです。
kono kuruma wa ano kuruma yori atarashii desu.
This car is newer than that car.
飛行機は電車より高いです。
hikōki wa densha yori takai desu.
Planes are more expensive than trains.
高い means both "high/tall" and "expensive" — context decides which.
このかばんはそのかばんより軽いです。
kono kaban wa sono kaban yori karui desu.
This bag is lighter than that one.
のほうが — putting the spotlight on the winner
ほう literally means "side", so BよりAのほうが～ is "the A side is more ~ than B". Use it when you're announcing a winner: AはBより simply describes A, while のほうが presents A as the answer to a real or implied "which one?". The Bより part can come first, or be dropped entirely when it's obvious.
バスのほうが電車より安いです。
basu no hō ga densha yori yasui desu.
The bus is cheaper than the train.
夏より冬のほうが好きです。
natsu yori fuyu no hō ga suki desu.
I like winter better than summer.
Comparing likes and dislikes is one of the most common jobs of のほうが.
海のほうが川より深いです。
umi no hō ga kawa yori fukai desu.
The sea is deeper than the river.
AとBと、どちらが～ですか — which of the two?
To ask which of two things wins, list both with と and ask with どちらが. Japanese always uses どちら when there are exactly two options — for people, places and things alike, with no who/which/where switching as in English. In casual speech you'll hear どっち. The natural answer reuses のほうが from the previous section.
犬と猫と、どちらが好きですか。
inu to neko to, dochira ga suki desu ka.
Which do you like better, dogs or cats?
猫のほうが好きです。
neko no hō ga suki desu.
I like cats better.
Answer a どちら question with のほうが — the winner, plus the same adjective.
紅茶とコーヒーと、どちらが安いですか。
kōcha to kōhī to, dochira ga yasui desu ka.
Which is cheaper, black tea or coffee?
もっと — more
もっと is an adverb meaning "more (than now, or than this one)". Put it straight in front of an adjective — or another adverb — when there's no named comparison target. It's the word you need in shops and restaurants when the one in front of you isn't quite right.
もっと安いかばんはありますか。
motto yasui kaban wa arimasu ka.
Do you have a cheaper bag?
A classic shopping phrase — "a more-cheap bag", no より needed.
この部屋は明るいですが、あの部屋はもっと明るいです。
kono heya wa akarui desu ga, ano heya wa motto akarui desu.
This room is bright, but that room is even brighter.
もっとゆっくり話してください。
motto yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Please speak more slowly.
もっと works with adverbs too — a lifesaver in real conversations.
いちばん — the most, the best
いちばん is written 一番, literally "number one", and it turns any adjective into a superlative: いちばん高い = "the highest". Mark the group it applies to with で — a place like 日本で, or a category with の中で. To ask a superlative question, combine a question word with がいちばん.
富士山は日本でいちばん高い山です。
fujisan wa nihon de ichiban takai yama desu.
Mt Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
この店でこのパンがいちばん安いです。
kono mise de kono pan ga ichiban yasui desu.
This bread is the cheapest in this shop.
果物の中で、何がいちばん好きですか。
kudamono no naka de, nani ga ichiban suki desu ka.
Of all fruits, which do you like best?
With three or more options, ask with 何, どれ, だれ or どこ — not どちら.
More practice in the game
Three free browser lessons cover this chapter, with native Japanese audio for every line: comparisons on the street, もっと at the zoo, and いちばん at the cafe.
Chapter vocabulary
Fourteen adjectives from the game — most come in natural opposite pairs, perfect for building your own より sentences.
Tap ► to hear the native audio from the game, or tap a word to open its dictionary entry.
Mine is better — but don't say so
In Japan, openly comparing your own things favourably — my car is newer than yours, my cooking is better — comes across as boastful. The cultural value of 謙遜 (kenson, modesty) runs deep: people routinely talk down their own possessions and abilities while praising other people's. So although より and のほうが are everyday grammar, you'll rarely hear 「私のほうが…」 in polite company. Safe, natural uses are preferences (「冬のほうが好きです」), facts about the world, and questions. And if someone compares you favourably — 「日本語が上手ですね」 — the modest reply is いえいえ、まだまだです ("oh no, I've still got a long way to go").
Test yourself
Eight questions: build comparisons, answer どちら questions and pick the number one.
8 quick questions on this chapter.
Your score
Common questions
Quick answers about this chapter's grammar.
What is the difference between より and のほうが?
より attaches to the thing being beaten ("than B"), while のほうが attaches to the winner. They often appear together — Bより Aのほうが～ — but either can be dropped when context makes it clear. AはBより～ neutrally describes A; AのほうがB より～ emphasises A as the answer to "which one?".
Do Japanese adjectives have comparative or superlative forms?
No. Japanese adjectives never change for comparison — there's no equivalent of -er or -est. 高い can mean "expensive", "more expensive" or "most expensive" depending on the frame around it: より for comparisons, もっと for "more", and いちばん for superlatives.
When do I use どちら and when do I use どれ?
どちら asks "which of exactly two?" (casually どっち). For three or more options, switch to どれ for things, だれ for people, どこ for places or 何 generally — usually with いちばん: 「どれがいちばん安いですか」 ("Which one is cheapest?").
How do I say two things are about the same?
Use 同じくらい ("about the same"): 「バスと電車は同じくらい高いです」. To answer a どちら question with "both", say どちらも: 「どちらも好きです」 ("I like them both"). With a negative, どちらも means "neither".
Want more practice? Browse all free Japanese lessons or look words up in the Japanese dictionary.