1. Home
  2. Grammar Points
  3. Expressing "rather" with 比较 ("bi3jiao4")

Expressing "rather" with 比较 ("bi3jiao4")

比较 bǐjiào

Adverbs with adjectives
HSK 3

Structure

Subj. + 比较 + Adj. Subj. + 比较 + [Verb Phrase]

Definition

比较（bǐjiào）放在形容词或某些动词前，表示程度适中或相对较高，相当于汉语中的‘还算’、‘相当’。常用于表达委婉评价或对比。

The adverb 比较 (bǐjiào) is placed before an adjective or certain verbs to indicate a moderate or relatively high degree, equivalent to 'rather', 'quite', or 'comparatively' in English. It is often used for euphemistic assessments or comparisons.

Usage

比较通常放在形容词前，构成‘比较 + 形容词’结构。既可以用于两者之间的比较，也可以单纯描述主观评价。在口语和书面语中都很常见。注意：比较不用于极端形容词（如‘完美’），也不用于否定形式。

比较 is typically placed before an adjective to form the pattern '比较 + adjective'. It can be used for comparative statements between two items or simply for subjective assessments. It is common in both spoken and written Chinese. Note: It is not used with extreme adjectives (like 'perfect') or in negative forms.

Examples

  • 1 这家餐厅比较贵，但是味道很好。 (This restaurant is rather expensive, but the taste is very good.)
  • 2 今天天气比较冷，多穿点衣服吧。 (The weather today is rather cold, put on more clothes.)
  • 3 他的中文说得比较好，可以跟他交流。 (His Chinese is quite good; you can communicate with him.)
  • 4 这个问题比较难，需要花时间思考。 (This problem is rather difficult; it takes time to think.)
  • 5 我觉得这部电影比较有意思，推荐你看。 (I think this movie is quite interesting; I recommend you watch it.)

Put it into practice

Exam-style HSK drills with instant scoring and explanations.

Find my HSK level

Free · about 3 minutes · no account needed