比较
bǐ jiào
Expressing "rather" with "bijiao"
比较 means "comparatively" — and in practice it's a hedge, like English "fairly".
Subj. + 比较 + Adj.
How it works
这个问题比较简单 — this question is fairly simple. Strictly it implies a comparison, but usually it just softens a claim.
It's a favourite of polite speech, because it avoids sounding too definite.
Unlike 比, 比较 needs no second thing to compare against.
Examples
zhè ge wèn tí bǐ jiào jiǎn dān
这个问题比较简单。
This question is fairly simple.
běi jīng de dōng tiān bǐ jiào gān
北京的冬天比较干。
Winters in Beijing are rather dry.
wǒ bǐ jiào xǐ huan zhè ge
我比较喜欢这个。
I rather prefer this one.