GrammarJLPT N5
→ than
"Than" (Comparison Particle)
JLPT N5ParticleNeutral
The particle より is used to mark the item being compared against in a comparative sentence, functioning much like the English word "than." It attaches directly after the noun or phrase that serves as the standard of comparison, indicating that the subject surpasses or falls short of that standard in some quality. より is versatile and can be used on its own or paired with のほうが on the other side of the comparison for added clarity and naturalness. For example, in the pattern "A は B より [adjective]" the speaker states that A has more of the described quality than B. While より is perfectly natural in both spoken and written Japanese, in casual conversation speakers often prefer the combined pattern "B より A のほうが [adjective]" because it makes the preferred item more explicit. The particle より can also be strengthened to よりも for emphasis, meaning "even more than." Learners should not confuse より with ほど〜ない, which expresses that something does not reach the level of the compared item, essentially the negative counterpart of より.
Functions
#1 Basic comparison with an adjective
Structure
A は B より + Adjective
夏は冬より暑いです。
In this sentence, より follows 冬 (winter), marking it as the standard of comparison. The sentence states that the subject 夏 (summer) exceeds 冬 in the quality of being 暑い (hot). This is the most straightforward use of より, where the particle simply means "than" and connects the compared item to an adjective that describes how the subject differs.Summer is hotter than winter.
Structures
- Basic comparison
- A は B より + Adjective / Adverb
- With のほうが (common pattern)
- B より A のほうが + Adjective
Common mistakes
A common error is placing より after the wrong noun, reversing the intended meaning of the comparison — for example, saying 「犬より猫が小さい」 when one means dogs are smaller than cats, since より should follow the item that is being surpassed, not the subject. Another frequent mistake is omitting the comparative element entirely and using より with a statement that has no gradable quality, such as pairing it with a noun predicate like 「学生です」 where no comparison is possible. Learners also sometimes confuse より with ほど; remember that ほど〜ない is used in negative comparisons ("not as … as"), while より is used in affirmative comparisons ("more … than"). Finally, some learners add より redundantly when のほうが is already present on the same side, producing unnatural double-marking.
Related
のほうがほど〜ないくらい・ぐらいよりもと比べて