Language/Japanese/Grammar/Comparison-and-Superlative

Japanese Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparison and Superlative

As a Japanese language teacher with 20 years of experience, I can assure you that understanding how to express comparison and superlative in Japanese is essential for effective communication. In this lesson, we will learn how to use the basic patterns ～より～ and ～で一番～ to express comparison and superlative, along with some interesting cultural information.

Comparison using ～より～

Comparisons in Japanese are formed using the pattern ～より～. This pattern is used to compare two things and identify which one has more or less of a certain quality. The particle より is used to indicate that the second noun or adjective is being compared to the first one.

For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
私より背が高い	watashi yori se ga takai	taller than me
犬より猫が好き	inu yori neko ga suki	like cats more than dogs
彼女より私が速い	kanojo yori watashi ga hayai	faster than her
子供より大人が好き	kodomo yori otona ga suki	like adults more than children

Note that the first noun or adjective should be followed by the particle より, but the second one doesn't need any particle.

Also, you can use the adjective in its base form, without any conjugation. Just place it before the particle より.

Superlative using ～で一番～

To express a superlative in Japanese, we use the pattern ～で一番～. Here, the particle で is used to indicate the place or method of the comparison, and 一番 (いちばん) means "most" or "best".

For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
東京で一番大きい公園	Tōkyō de ichiban ōkii kōen	the biggest park in Tokyo
彼はクラスで一番優秀だ	kare wa kurasu de ichiban yūshū da	he is the most excellent in the class
あのレストランはここで一番人気がある	ano resutoran wa koko de ichiban ninki ga aru	that restaurant is the most popular here
私はこの曲が一番好きだ	watashi wa kono kyoku ga ichiban suki da	I like this song the most

The adjective should be conjugated to its superlative form with the suffix ～い+EST. Note that this pattern is commonly used in conjunction with the particle で, which indicates the location, method, or means of the comparison.

Tips and Tricks

- Special adjectives: Some adjectives have irregular comparatives, which means that their comparative form is different from their base form. For example, the adjective 良い (いい, good) becomes より良い (yori yoi) in its comparative form.

- The particle より can also be used as "than" in comparisons of time and quantity. For example: 五時より早く来てね (Goji yori hayaku kite ne, please come earlier than 5 o'clock).

- It's common in Japan to use the superlative pattern ～で一番～ to talk about rankings and contests such as sports, exams, or music shows.

Cultural insights

The Japanese culture values modesty and respect towards others, and this is reflected in the use of superlatives. Unlike Western cultures, where it's common to brag or boast about one's achievements, in Japan, it's more polite to downplay one's abilities or accomplishments. Therefore, it's essential to use these language patterns with care, especially in formal or professional settings where humility is highly appreciated.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned how to express comparison and superlative in Japanese using the basic patterns ～より～ and ～で一番～. We have also explored some cultural insights that shed light on the social norms in Japan regarding the use of these patterns. Our next lesson will focus on how to modify adjectives and adverbs using the particle に and ～く.

I hope that you found this lesson helpful and enjoyable. Please keep practicing and exploring the Japanese language, and don't hesitate to ask me any questions you may have.

Sources

• Japanese/Grammar/Comparisons - Wikibooks, open books for an ...
• Lesson 15. How to Express Superlative in Japanese - LingoCards
• Japanese Comparison: より, …の方が, and …で一番

Table of Contents - Japanese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Hiragana Basics

• Hiragana Reading and Writing Practice
• Introduction to Japanese Sentence Structure
• Particle は and が
• Verb Conjugation
• Noun and Adjective Modification
• Question Words and Phrases

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Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings
• Introducing Yourself and Others
• Describing People
• Counting Numbers and Time
• Basic Food and Drink Terminology
• Daily Activities and Hobbies
• Basic Directions and Transportation

  ---

Geography and History

• Introduction to Japanese Geography
• Brief History of Japan
• Traditional Arts and Customs
• Popular Culture and Entertainment

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Conjugation
• Adjective Types and Usage
• Adverb Types and Usage
• Comparison and Superlative
• Adjective and Adverbial Modification

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Family and Social Relations

• Family Members and Titles
• Social Etiquette and Expressions
• Basic Workplace and Business Terminology
• Shopping and Consumer Culture

  ---

Religion and Philosophy

• Shinto and Buddhism
• Zen and Samurai Culture
• Contemporary Spiritual Movements

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Particles and Conjunctions

• Particles に and で
• Particles へ and を
• Particles も and しか
• Conjunctions and Compound Sentences
• Conditional and Hypothetical Sentences

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Travel and Tourism

• Basic Travel and Tourism Vocabulary
• Famous Tourist Attractions and Landmarks
• Japanese Hospitality and Service Culture

  ---

Education and Science

• Educational System and Vocabulary
• Traditional and Modern Science and Technology
• Natural Disasters and Risk Prevention

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Prepositions and Interjections

• Prepositions and Postpositions
• Emphasis and Intensification
• Exclamation and Impression Expressions

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Arts and Media

• Film and Theater Terminology
• Music and Dance Terminology
• Art and Literature Terminology

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Politics and Society

• Basic Political Vocabulary
• Social Issues and Controversies
• Japanese Business and Work Culture

Related Lessons

• Hiragana Reading and Writing Practice
• Question Words and Phrases
• Particles へ and を
• Adjective Conjugation
• Exclamation and Impression Expressions
• Adjectives (形容詞)
• Adjectives
• How to Use Be
• Adjective and Adverbial Modification
• Questions