🏆 The Comparison Game: Who’s the Tallest? What’s the Best?
Imagine you’re at a playground with your friends. You look around and think:
- “Yuki is taller than me!”
- “But Kenji is the tallest of all!”
This is comparison — and in Japanese, there’s a super simple way to do it!
🎯 The Big Picture
Japanese comparison has two magic moves:
| Move | What It Does | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| より (yori) | Compares two things | “A is bigger than B” |
| 一番 (ichiban) | Picks the #1 best/most | “A is the biggest” |
Think of it like a race:
- より = “Who wins between these two?”
- 一番 = “Who’s the champion of everyone?”
🔄 Comparison Expressions (より / yori)
The Simple Rule
A は B より [adjective] です
A wa B yori [adjective] desu
"A is more [adjective] than B"
The trick: Put the loser after より!
🌟 Real Examples
Comparing sizes:
ぞうは ねこより おおきいです。
Zou wa neko yori ookii desu.
"Elephants are bigger than cats."
Think: Elephant = winner, Cat = after より
Comparing speed:
でんしゃは バスより はやいです。
Densha wa basu yori hayai desu.
"Trains are faster than buses."
Comparing taste:
りんごは レモンより あまいです。
Ringo wa remon yori amai desu.
"Apples are sweeter than lemons."
🎮 The Memory Trick
Imagine より as a “loser spotlight” — whoever comes before より is being compared against (and losing)!
| Sentence | Winner | Loser (after より) |
|---|---|---|
| 犬は猫より大きい | 犬 (dog) | 猫 (cat) |
| 夏は冬より暑い | 夏 (summer) | 冬 (winter) |
| 日本語は英語より難しい | 日本語 | 英語 (English) |
🎪 Asking “Which One?” Questions
Want to ask someone to compare? Use どちら (dochira) or どっち (docchi):
コーヒーと おちゃと どちらが すきですか。
Koohii to ocha to dochira ga suki desu ka.
"Which do you like more, coffee or tea?"
Answer pattern:
おちゃの ほうが すきです。
Ocha no hou ga suki desu.
"I like tea more."
ほう = “the side of” — you’re saying “I’m on tea’s side!”
🏅 Superlative Expressions (一番 / ichiban)
The Champion Formula
When something is THE BEST, THE MOST, or THE NUMBER ONE:
[A] は [group] で 一番 [adjective] です
A wa [group] de ichiban [adjective] desu
"A is the most [adjective] in [group]"
🌟 Real Examples
Best in class:
たなかさんは クラスで いちばん せが たかいです。
Tanaka-san wa kurasu de ichiban se ga takai desu.
"Tanaka is the tallest in the class."
Best in the world:
ふじさんは にほんで いちばん たかい やまです。
Fujisan wa nihon de ichiban takai yama desu.
"Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan."
Your favorite:
すしが いちばん すきです。
Sushi ga ichiban suki desu.
"I like sushi the most."
🎯 Where Does 一番 Go?
一番 goes RIGHT BEFORE the adjective!
graph TD A["Topic は"] --> B["Group で"] B --> C["一番"] C --> D["Adjective"] D --> E["です"] style C fill:#FFD700,stroke:#333
🗣️ Asking “What’s the Best?”
Use 何 (nani) or どれ (dore) with 一番:
にほんりょうりで なにが いちばん おいしいですか。
Nihon ryouri de nani ga ichiban oishii desu ka.
"What's the most delicious Japanese food?"
このなかで どれが いちばん やすいですか。
Kono naka de dore ga ichiban yasui desu ka.
"Which one is the cheapest among these?"
📊 Comparison vs Superlative: Side by Side
| Type | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison | 犬は猫より大きい | Dogs are bigger than cats |
| Superlative | 犬が一番大きい | Dogs are the biggest |
🎭 Common Adjectives for Comparison
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大きい | おおきい | big |
| 小さい | ちいさい | small |
| 高い | たかい | tall/expensive |
| 安い | やすい | cheap |
| 速い | はやい | fast |
| 遅い | おそい | slow |
| 難しい | むずかしい | difficult |
| 簡単 | かんたん | easy |
| 好き | すき | liked/favorite |
| おいしい | おいしい | delicious |
🚀 Quick Reference Card
Comparison (Two Things)
A は B より adjective です
→ A is more [adj] than B
Superlative (Best of All)
A は [group] で 一番 adjective です
→ A is the most [adj] in [group]
Asking Questions
どちらが more...? → Which is more...?
何が一番...? → What is the most...?
🎉 You Did It!
Now you can:
- ✅ Compare any two things with より
- ✅ Crown the champion with 一番
- ✅ Ask comparison questions like a pro
Remember:
- より = “than” (put the loser after it)
- 一番 = “the most / number one” (put it before the adjective)
You’re ready to compare anything in Japanese! 🏆