より良い
yoriyoi
The English word "better" can be translated into Japanese as より良い (yoriyoi) or もっといい.
Meaning: comparative of the adjectives good or well (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| より良い | yoriyoi |
| もっといい |
Both forms are used to express the comparative of the adjectives "good" or "well". The term 改善 (Kaizen) can be used to express the idea of improvement. The word マシ (Mashi) is a colloquial word used to mean better or improved.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase もっといい, the word もっと means "more" and いい means "good".
Which one should you use?
もっといい is the more common, conversational way to say "better" compared to the more formal より良い.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
より良い is used in written or formal contexts, whereas もっといい is used in spoken conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the form より良い, the word より acts as a comparative particle meaning "than" or "more" when placed before an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
yoriyoi
Did you know?
- The colloquial word マシ (mashi) for 'better' can often carry a slightly negative nuance, implying that while something is better, it is still not actually 'good'.
- The concept of 改善 (Kaizen) is so influential that it is studied globally in business schools as a specific Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement rather than just a word for 'better'.
- If you want to say something is 'much better', you might add ずっと (zutto) before いい, which literally means 'all along' or 'continually'.
Examples in context
- もっといい方法がある。There is a better way.This sentence is useful for describing the existence of a better way using もっといい.Tatoeba #12957148 by small_snow, translation #2260151 by Hybrid
- もっといい考えがありますか？Do you have a better idea?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a better idea using もっといい.Tatoeba #1143565 by bunbuku, translation #1039380 by CK
- もっといい表現方法がありますか？Is there a better way to express this?This sentence is useful for asking about a better way to express something using もっといい.Tatoeba #10531213 by small_snow, translation #10531216 by DJ_Saidez
- この方法は効率的ですが、もっと良い方法はありますか。This method is efficient, but do you have a better one?
- 科学技術の進歩によって、生活がより良くなりました。Life has become better due to advances in science and technology.
- このレストランは美味しかったけど、もっといい店知ってる？This restaurant was great, but do you know any better ones?
- ひどい風邪だったけど、だいぶマシになった。I had a terrible cold, but it has improved quite a bit.
- 前よりピアノの弾き方が上手になった。I have become better at playing the piano compared to before.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daichi and Himari are discussing which hotel to book.
- 大翔 Hirotoこのホテルはどう思う？Kono hoteru wa dou omou?What do you think of this hotel?
- 陽葵 Himariもうちょっと予算を上げて、より良い部屋にしよう。Mou chotto yosan o agete, yori yoi heya ni shiyou.Let's increase the budget a bit and get a better room.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。そのほうが安心だ。Sou da ne. Sono hou ga anshin da.You're right. That would be safer.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、別のプランを探してみるね。Jaa, betsu no puran o sagashite miru ne.Then, I'll look for another plan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “better” translations and entries より良い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
