<Lesson 22>
In this lesson, you will learn forms of comparison and related expressions such as "onaji desu" and "chigaimasu".
A, Basic comparative expressions
Please read conversation between A and B. ( You can click HERE to hear sentences below.)
A, あ なたは日本に行った事がありますか。
( Have you ever been to Japan ?)
B, はい、あります。
( Yes, I have been there.)
A, 日本でどこが一番（いちばん）美しい ですか。
( Where is it the most beautiful in Japan?)
B, 多分、京都が一番美しいで
すよ。
( Maybe, Kyoto is the most beautiful.)
A, 東京と京都と、どちらが好きですか。
( Which of Tokyo and Kyoto do you prefer?)
B, 京都（きょうと）の方が東京より好き です。
( I like kyoto more than Tokyo.)
A, どうしてですか。
( Why ? ) *どうして =why
B, 京都は東京ほどうるさくないからで す。
( Because Kyoto is not as noisy as Tokyo.)
1, Expressions with "一番（いちばん）"
Sentence structure: ( noun) で ( subject) が いちばん ( adjective+ desu)or(adverb+verb)
* "いちばん"means "most"or
"best" with adverbial function to modify adjective or adverb
in the context.
"いちばん"also means "Number 1" or "the first
place" as a noun.
You can also use "
もっともmottomo" instead of "いちばん". "もっ
とも" is a less colloquial word.
* Particle "で" functions to indicate the preceding noun
as the range in which to compare the objects.
* The order of words are flexible.
e.g
このクラスで/
さとうさんが/いちばん/おおきい です。
さとうさんが/このクラスで/いちばん/おおきいです。
さとうさんが /
いちばん/このクラ スで/おおきいです。
いちばん/さとうさんが/このクラスで/おおきいです。
&nbs p; ( All sentences mean
"Mr.Sato is the tallest in this class")
<Exercise 1> Please make proper sentences using "いちばん" and particle"で" for indicating the range in which something is compared., as in the example.
e.g (That
bridge)(this country)(long bridge) *long=長い（ながい）,
*bridge=橋（はし）
=> この橋がこの国で一番長い橋です。
1, (
Biwa-lake)(Japan)(big)
2, ( She)(the world)(beautiful)
3, ( Mr. Smith.)(this class)(speak Japanese well) *well=うまく,
じょうずに
4, ( Sukiyaki)(Japanese food)(my favorite food) *favorite=
大好き（だいすき）
5, ( He)(students)( swim fast) *fast=速い(adjective), 速く(adverb)
2, Expressions using "より" and "ほう"
Sentence
structure:( noun)より( subject)のほうが <
もっと>(adjective+desu)or(noun+
* Particle "
より" means "than". The preceding word
is the object which is compared by the subject of the
sentence.
* The subject of the comparison sentence with "より" is followed
by "のほう"( which means "the side of")
and this precedes the particle "が" ( But,
the sentence is understandable even without "のほう")
* "もっと"means "more". It's more effective to put "もっと"just
before the adjective,adverb etc.which is modified by "もっと".
But, "もっと" is not always necessary when
making comparative sentences,
* The order of words is again flexible.
e.g
このとけいより/
あのとけいのほうが/ もっと/たかいです。
あ のとけいのほうが/ こ のとけいより/もっと / た かいです。
このとけいより/
もっと/あ のとけいのほうが/た かいです。
( All sentences mean "That watch is more
expensive than this watch)
<Exercise 2> Please make comparative sentences like "A のほうが B よりもっと " as in the example.
e.g ( Mr.Tanaka ) and (
You ) => young *young=若い（わかい）
<subject=Mr.
Tanaka> 田中さんの方があなたよりもっと若いです。
< subject=You>
あなたの方が田中さんよりもっと若いです。
1, ( Your food ) and (My food) =>delicious
< subject=Your food>
<subject=My food>
2, ( Japanese language ) and (Chinese language) =>difficult
<subject=Japanese language>
<subject=Chinese language>
3, ( This shop) and (That
shop) => sell at high price *at high price=高く
<subject=This shop>
<subject=That shop>
4, ( Miss Yamada) and (
Mr. Sato) => speak English well.
< subject=Miss.Yamada>
< subject=Mr.Sato>
5, ( This train) and (
That train) => fast train *train=電車（でんしゃ）
<subject=This train>
<subject=That train>
3, Interrogative for comparison. ( どちら or どれ)
1) どちら(which)/ どちらのA(which A)
* This interrogative is
used when comparing between two objects
and choosing one of them
* Basic question sentence structure is "
どちら(or どちらの A) が (adjective+ですか) or (adverb+verb) ?
* You can use also "どっち"instead of "どちら". "どっち"is more
colloquial word.
* If you indicate the objects (e.g A and B) to compare in the
question sentence, you should add "A と
B と" before "dochira".
Furthermore, in daily
conversation, "では "is commonly added after "A と B と".
e.g
犬（いぬ）と
猫（ねこ）と(では)どちらがはや くはしりますか。
*はしる=to run
< Which run faster, dogs or cats
?> *はやく =adverb form of "はやい"
猫
のほうが犬よりはやくはしります。
<Cats
run faster than dogs>
<Exercise 3> Please make proper questions using "どちら" as in the example.
e.g (Mr. Tanaka) and (
Mrs. Suzuki ) <younger >
=> 田中さんと鈴木さんとでは、どちらが若いですか。
1, ( Japanese language)
and (Chinese language) <more difficult>
2, ( My answer ) and ( his answer ) < correct>
3, ( This shop ) and (That shop) < sell at higher price>
4, ( Miss Yamada ) and (Mr.Sato ) < write English
better>
5, ( This train ) and ( That train ) <faster train>
2) どれ(which)/ どの A(which A)
* This interrogative is
used when comparing 3 objects
or more to ask which is "the most..".
* The basic question form is "どれ(or どの
A)がいちばん +adjective+ですか (or adverb+verb)
* The interrogative term to be used depends on the nature of
the items being compared .
Thus for inanimate objects use "なに" or "どれ"; for
people use "だれ"; for locations use "どこ" and for times use
"いつ".
"どの" can be used as an interrogative
adjective in all cases.
e.g
Q,これらの
辞書（じしょ）の中（なか）でどれ （orどの辞書）が一番便利（べんり）ですか。
<Among
these dictionaries, which (which dictionary) is the most
convenient ? > *の中で =among
A,この小さい辞書がいちばん便利です。< This small dictionary is the
most convenient >
------------------------------
Q,あなたの家族（かぞく）でだれ（orどのひと）
< Among your family, who(which person) sing songs best
?>*うまく=well, adverbial form of "うまい"
A,
私がいちばんうまく歌をうたいます。< I sing songs best .>
------------------------------
Q,日本でどこ（or どのやま）がいちばん高い山ですか。
< In Japan, where(which mountain) is the highest
mountain?>
A,富士山（ふじさん）がいちばん高い山です。 <
Mt.Fuji is the highest mountain.>
------------------------------
Q,日本はいつ（or どの月）がいちばん寒い（さむい）ですか。
< In Japan, when (which month)is it the coldest?>
A,二月（にがつ）がいちばん（日本で）寒いです。< February is
the coldest (month) in Japan.>
------------------------------
<Exercise 4> Please make question sentences with "ichiban" and answer sentences , as in the example.
e.g ( Among sports )(which
sports)( the favorite)?=>( tennis)
=> スポーツの中で、どのスポーツが一番好きですか。 Supootsu
no naka de dono supootsu ga ichiban ninki desu ka.
テニスが一番好きです。Tenisu ga ichiban ninki desu.
1, ( In the world )(which
country)(the largest country) ? =>(Russia) *world=世界（せかい）
*Russia=ロシア
2, ( In Japan)(when)( the hottest month) ? =>(August)
3, ( In your family)(who)( wakes up earliest)? =>(my
mother) *to wake up=起きる（おきる） *early=早く（はやく）
4, ( In his company)( which business)( the most important)?
=>(publishing) *publishing=出版（しゅっぱん）
5, ( Among these cars)(which)(the most expensive car)?
=>(this big car)
4, Constructions using "ほど"
I show you sample
sentence using "ほど"
* 私は彼ほど利口（りこう）ではありません。 (
I am not clever as he.) *利口=clever
* 私は彼女ほど美しくないです。( I am not
beautiful as she.)
*The meaning of "ほど"
is similar to that of the particle "より" which is
equivalent to English "than" or "compared with-".
The particle "ほど"immediately following a noun marks
this as the item which is being compared.
General sentence structure using "ほど" is as
follows.
(noun) ほど (subject)は(adj.+negative form
of"です")or(negative form of verb)
*The use of "ほど" differs from that of "より" in that "
ほ ど" requires negative sentence .
<Exercise
5> Please make comparative sentences with "ほど" as in the
example.
e.g ( my watch)( not as
expensive) as/compared with ( your watch)
=> 私の時計はあなたの時計ほど高くはありません。
1, ( my town)( not as big)
as/compared with ( your town)
2, ( Mr, Sam )( doesn't speak Japanese) as well as/ compared
with ( Mr,Ken)
3, ( I )( don't play guitar well) in comparison to ( my father
) *guitar=ギター *to play=弾く（ひく）
4, ( this bag )(not as heavy) as/compared with ( your bag )
*heavy=重い（おもい）
5, ( This job )(not so important) compared with ( yesterday's
job) * important=大切（たいせつ）
B, Expressions with "おなじ（です）" and "ちがいます"
Like the related comparative expressions, these expressions
are in very common use.
*"おなじです" means "it's
the same ".
*"ちがいます" means "It's not the same" or "It's
different"and also " wrong"
1, 同 じ（おなじ） ( です/ではありません)
Let's examine examples of sentences using "おなじ"
e.g
この色（いろ）とその色は同じではありません。
( This color and that color
are not the same. )
この時計（とけい）と父の時計は同じです。
( This watch and my father's
watch are the same.)
* the above basic sentence structure is "A と Bは同じです。
/ではありません。"
You can express this in another way: " B
は A と( or A は B と) 同じです。/ではありません。"
The above sentences will be as follows with
this another structure.
e.g
その色はこの色と同じではありません。
( Literal transration:That
color is not the same with this color.)
( Free translation: That color
and this are not the same.)
父
の時計はこの時計と同じです。
( Literal translation:My
father's watch is the same with this watch.)
( Free translation: My father's
watch and this watch are the same.)
2, 違 います（ちがいます）( infinitive: ちがう)
Here are examples using "ちがいます"
e.g 日本語と中国語は違います。 (structure:
A と B はちがいます。 )
( Japanese language and Chinese one
are different)
中 国語は日 本語と違います。 (structure:
B は A とちがいます。)
( Chinese language is different from
Japanese )
* "違います" has another
important use in meaning "be wrong"or"be incorrect"
e.g "あなたは田中さんですか。" (
Are you Mr.Tanaka ? )
"いいえ、私は山田です。" (No,
it's wrong. I am Yamada.)
<Exercise 6> Please make two correct alternative sentences using "onaji" or "chigaimasu", as in the example.
e.g ( Japanese food
) < NOT the same> ( Chinese food )
=> 日本料理と中国料理は違います。
=>
日本料理は中国料理と同じではありません。
1, ( Tokyo dialect ) <
NOT the same > ( Osaka dialect) *dialect=方言（ほうげん）
2, ( Your method ) <NOT the same > ( My method )
*method=方法（ほうほう）
3, ( To see the fact ) < NOT the same> (To hear from
people) *fact=事実（じじつ）
4, ( Today's weather ) < NOT the same > (Yesterday's
weather )