Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 更
If you’re not yet familiar with making comparisons in Chinese, you may be wondering what 更 (gèng) means and how to use it.
In Chinese, we usually put 更 before adjectives to express “even more” in English (as in “even more ridiculous”, “even more competitive”, “even more expensive”).
BASIC USAGE OF 更
The sentence structure of 更 is quite straightforward:
PATTERN
更 + Adjective
Note that 更 structure expresses a stronger tone compared with 比 (bǐ) comparisons. In each case, you’re adding “even more” to an existing considerable amount.
For example, compare these two sentences:
- 你比我更合适
- nǐ bǐ wǒ gèng hé shì
vs.
- 你比我还合适
- nǐ bǐ wǒ hái hé shì
“你比我更合适” is almost close to say you are much more suitable.
While “你比我还合适” indicated that you are even more suitable with a firmer tone.
上大学后，她的成绩更好了。
After college, her grades improved.哪家医院更近？
Which hospital is closer?View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 结婚以后，她变得更漂亮了。 | jié hūn yǐ hòu，tā biàn dé gèng piāo liàng le | After marriage, she became more beautiful. |
| 与新车相比，二手车更便宜。 | yǔ xīn chē xiàng bǐ，èr shǒu chē gèng biàn yí | Used cars are cheaper compared to new cars. |
| 和我相比，他唱歌更好听。 | hé wǒ xiàng bǐ，tā chàng gē gèng hǎo tīng | He sings better than me. |
| 我喜欢网购，因为更方便。 | wǒ xǐ huān wǎng gòu，yīn wéi gèng fāng biàn | I like shopping online because it is more convenient. |
| 听到这个消息，她的心情更好了。 | tīng dào zhè gè xiāo xī，tā de xīn qíng gèng hǎo le | Hearing the news, she was in a better mood. |
STRUCTURE WITH 比 (bǐ)
While 更 (gèng) is not a substitute for 比 (bǐ) (the classic comparison word), the two can be used together. The sentence structure is as follows:
PATTERN
A 比 B + 更 + Adjective
This is equivalent to “A is even more Adj. than B.” in English.
飞机的速度比高铁更快。
Airplanes are faster than high-speed trains.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 普通话比粤语更难学。 | pǔ tōng huà bǐ yuè yǔ gèng nán xué | Mandarin is more difficult to learn than Cantonese. |
| 过程比结果更重要。 | guò chéng bǐ jié guǒ gèng zhòng yào | The process is more important than the result. |
| 事情比我想象中更顺利。 | shì qíng bǐ wǒ xiǎng xiàng zhōng gèng shùn lì | Things went more smoothly than I expected. |
| 香港的房子比上海更贵。 | xiāng gǎng de fáng zǐ bǐ shàng hǎi gèng guì | Hong Kong houses are more expensive than Shanghai. |
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FAQs
What does 更 mean?
更 is usually put before adjectives to express “even more,” as in “even more beautiful.”
What is the sentence structure of 更?
The sentence structure of 更 is quite straightforward:
– 更 + Adj.
Can 更 and 比 be used together?
Yes! Using 更 and 比 at the same time emphasizes the difference between A and B.
The sentence structure is as follows:
– A 比 B + 更 + Adj.
What are some examples of 更 sentences?
– 上大学后，她的成绩更好了。shàng dà xué hòu，tā de chéng jì gèng hǎo le. After college, her grades improved.
– 结婚以后，她变得更漂亮了。jié hūn yǐ hòu，tā biàn dé gèng piāo liàng le. After marriage, she became more beautiful.
– 飞机的速度比高铁更快。fēi jī de sù dù bǐ gāo tiě gèng kuài. Airplanes are faster than high-speed trains.
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