GrammarJLPT N5
→ rather than
Rather Than / More Than (Emphatic Comparison)
JLPT N5Compound particleNeutral
よりも is a compound particle used to make comparisons, meaning "rather than" or "more than." It attaches directly to a noun, verb, or adjective and marks the item being compared against — the item that comes out lower in the comparison. It functions identically to the simpler particle より, but the addition of も adds slight emphasis, making the contrast feel stronger or more deliberate. よりも is frequently paired with のほうが on the other side of the comparison to explicitly highlight the preferred or superior item, though this pairing is not strictly required. While より is common in both casual and formal speech, よりも leans slightly toward written or more considered expression due to its emphatic nuance. Learners should note that unlike English "rather than," the item marked by よりも is the one being ranked lower, not the one being chosen.
Examples
Example #1
夏よりも冬のほうが好きです。
Here よりも marks 夏 (summer) as the item being compared against, placing it lower in the speaker's preference. The phrase のほうが on the other side explicitly highlights 冬 (winter) as the preferred choice. The も in よりも adds a subtle emphasis, making the contrast between summer and winter feel more deliberate than using より alone would.I like winter more than summer.
Structures
- Noun
- A よりも B (のほうが) + Predicate
- Verb
- Verb (dictionary form) よりも + Predicate
Common mistakes
A common mistake is placing よりも after the wrong item — learners sometimes mark the preferred item with よりも instead of the lesser one, reversing the intended meaning. Remember that the item directly before よりも is always the one ranked lower or being compared against. Another frequent error is confusing よりも with のほうが; these are complementary, not interchangeable — よりも marks the lesser side while のほうが marks the greater side. Some learners also wonder whether to use より or よりも; the two are grammatically interchangeable, but よりも carries slightly more emphasis. Finally, be careful not to use よりも with negative comparisons where ほど〜ない would be more natural (e.g., "not as … as").
Related
よりのほうがくらべてに比べてむしろ