In Mandarin Chinese, comparatives often use bǐ (比) to show one thing is more than another, while superlatives use zuì (最) to mark the highest degree. This guide covers common patterns and useful vocabulary for making comparisons.
Comparative
The basic comparative structure places the two things with bǐ (比) and inserts the adjective after, so you say A bǐ B adjective. To make comparisons more precise, you can add adverbs and expressions for degree.
Vocabulary
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌶️ 更 | gèng | more (intensifier) | |
| 🍵 比 | bǐ | compare with | |
| 👍 比较 | bǐjiào | relatively; quite | |
| 👨 他 | tā | he | |
| 👩 她 | tā | she | |
| 📚 书 | shū | book |
Examples
This road is far ___ than that one.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍵 这本书比那本书更有趣。 | Zhè běn shū bǐ nà běn shū gèng yǒuqù. | This book is more interesting than that book. | |
| 👍 这本书比较短，适合旅行时看。 | Zhè běn shū bǐjiào duǎn, shìhé lǚxíng shí kàn. | This book is quite short, suitable for reading while traveling. | |
| 👩 她的书比我的书封面更漂亮。 | Tā de shū bǐ wǒ de shū fēngmiàn gèng piàoliang. | Her book’s cover is prettier than mine. | |
| 👨 他的书比我的书多了一些插图。 | Tā de shū bǐ wǒ de shū duōle yīxiē chātú. | His book has more illustrations than mine. |
Superlative
To form the superlative, put zuì (最) before the adjective to show the highest degree within a group. You can also use expressions like bùlǐsānrán (不 利 三 然) for emphatic superlatives in spoken language.
Vocabulary
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌟 最 | zuì | most; -est (superlative) | |
| 🏆 第一 | dì yī | first; number one | |
| 📖 小说 | xiǎoshuō | novel | |
| 📰 杂志 | zázhì | magazine | |
| 🧳 旅行 | lǚxíng | travel |
Examples
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌟 这是我读过最有趣的小说。 | Zhè shì wǒ dúguò zuì yǒuqù de xiǎoshuō. | This is the most interesting novel I’ve read. | |
| 🏆 那本杂志是旅行杂志里最受欢迎的。 | Nà běn zázhì shì lǚxíng zázhì lǐ zuì shòu huānyíng de. | That magazine is the most popular among travel magazines. | |
| 📖 她总是选择最畅销的小说阅读。 | Tā zǒng shì xuǎnzé zuì chàngxiāo de xiǎoshuō yuèdú. | She always chooses the best-selling novels to read. | |
| 🧳 我们找到了最全面的旅行指南。 | Wǒmen zhǎodào le zuì quánmiàn de lǚxíng zhǐnán. | We found the most comprehensive travel guide. |
More Structures
Mandarin offers alternative ways to compare, such as using gèng (更) to highlight increased degree, duō (多) with numbers for measurable differences, and phrases like lā jiùduō (拉 就 多) for colloquial comparisons.
Summary
Comparatives use bǐ (比) to link the two things and place the adjective after, while superlatives put zuì (最) before the adjective to mark the top degree. Adverbs like gèng (更) and bǐjiào (比较) help fine-tune the comparison.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025