Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat
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より (Than)

より (Than)

より (Than) Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Particle

Essential Meaning: Than / More X than Y

Construction: 

  • Noun + より
    • E.g. これより [Than this]
    • E.g. 魚さかなより [Than fish]
  • Noun + であるより
    • E.g. 先生せんせいであるより [Than being a teacher]
  • (Verb / い-Adjective) informal nonpast + より
    • E.g. 話はなすより [Than speaking]
    • E.g. 食たべるより [Than eating]
    • E.g. 高たかいより [Than being expensive]
  • な-Adjective Stem + なより
    • E.g. 静しずかなより [Than being quiet]

Notes:

  • より marks the standard of comparison in a comparative phrase. It takes the place of “Than” in a sentence such as “More X than Y“.
  • より is preceded by either a noun phrase or a sentence.
    • E.g. Preceded by a sentence: 図書館としょかんで勉強べんきょうするほうがうちで勉強べんきょうするよりよくできる。[I’m better at studying at the library than studying at home.]
    • E.g. Preceded by a noun phrase: 漢字かんじは平仮名ひらがなより難むずかしい。[Kanji is more difficult than hiragana.]
  • Verbs that precede より are typically nonpast, but there are some idiomatic exceptions to this rule.
    • E.g. その試験しけんは思おもったよりやさしかった。[That test was easier than I expected.]
  • も can optionally be appended to より to make the comparison more emphatic. One exception to this is that も cannot be used with より in sentences that imply “There is no other way than X“.
    • E.g. 日本語にほんごはスペイン語ごより(も)おもしろい。[Japanese is more interesting than Spanish.]
    • E.g. これよりほかに方法ほうほうはない。[There is no other way than this.] も can’t be used in this case.
    • E.g. バスでいくより仕方しかたがない。[There is no other way than to go by bus.] も can’t be used in this case.

Example Sentences:

日本語にほんごはスペイン語ごよりおもしろい。[Japanese is more interesting than Spanish.]

車くるまで行いくのはバスで行いくより安やすい。[Going by car is cheaper than going by bus.]

私わたしは旅行りょこうするよりうちにいたい。[I’d rather stay home than travel.]

これよりほかに方法ほうほうはない。[There is no other way than this.]

バスでいくより仕方しかたがない。[There is no other way than to go by bus.]

漢字かんじは平仮名ひらがなより難むずかしい。[Kanji is more difficult than hiragana.]

林はやしさんは私わたしより速はやく走はしれる。[Hayashi-san can run faster than me.]

僕ぼくはステーキより魚さかなの方ほうが好すきだ。[I like fish more than I like steak.]

図書館としょかんで勉強べんきょうするほうがうちで勉強べんきょうするよりよくできる。[I’m better at studying at the library than studying at home.]

それは赤あかというより茶色ちゃいろに近ちかかった。[That was closer to brown than to red.]

日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうしたかったら、アメリカの学校がっこうで勉強べんきょうするより日本にほんへ行いきなさい。[If you want to study Japanese, go to Japan rather than going to an American school.]

WILD Examples:

At 1:03, listen for this line: 友達ともだちより早はやくエッチをしたいけどキスから先さきに進すすめない [I want to have sex before my friends do, but I’m unable to go further than a kiss.] The basic meaning of this song is that the girls are curious about sex, but they decide it’s a waste to give away their virginities without first giving away their hearts.
Listen for this line at 0:40: でも誰だれより誰だれよりも知しっている [However, I know it better than anyone else.]

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