比
bǐ
Basic comparisons with "bi"
比 compares two things — and the adjective must stand bare, with no 很.
Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj.
How it works
你比我胖 — you're fatter than me. The order is A, 比, B, adjective.
The crucial rule: never put 很, 非常 or 太 in a 比 sentence. 你比我很胖 is wrong. To intensify, use 更 or 还 before the adjective, or 多了 after it.
The negative is usually 没有 rather than 不比: 我没有你胖.
Examples
nǐ bǐ wǒ pàng
你比我胖。
You're heavier than me.
jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān lěng
今天比昨天冷。
Today is colder than yesterday.
tā bǐ wǒ gèng nǔ lì
他比我更努力。
He works even harder than I do.
Common mistakes
- 很 can never appear in a 比 comparison.