〜より良い
-yori yoi
The phrase 'better than' in Japanese is expressed as 〜より良い (-yori yoi).
The phrase is used to indicate that one thing is of a higher quality or more desirable than another.
What does it mean word for word?
The particle 〜より means 'than' when used in a comparative context.
Which one should you use?
You can use 〜よりずっと良い to say 'much better than' by adding ずっと for emphasis. In formal writing, the phrase 〜より優れた is often used to mean 'superior to' instead of 〜より良い.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal conversations, you may use the particle より instead of よりも. Use 〜より優れた when you need a formal tone for writing.
How do you pronounce it?
-yori yoi
Did you know?
- In Japanese, you can express 'better than' by reversing the order of things using the particle の方が (no hō ga) to emphasize the subject. While English relies on 'better than', Japanese often builds the sentence around 'the side of' the superior item.
- In Japanese culture, saying one thing is より良い 'better than' another can be seen as too direct or confrontational. To be more polite, speakers often use phrases that imply a preference rather than stating a definitive superiority.
- While 良い (yoi) describes quality, Japanese uses 上手 (jōzu) to say someone is 'better than' another at a skill. Using 良い to describe a person's ability can accidentally imply they are a 'good person' morally rather than a skilled one.
Examples in context
- 彼女は私よりも優れた成績を収めました。She achieved better grades than me.
- 彼は私の予想以上の結果を出しました。He delivered results beyond my expectations (better than I expected).
- このゲームはあのゲームより面白い。This game is more interesting than that game.
- 彼女の方が私より速く走れる。She can run faster than me.
- この映画は他の映画より面白いです。This movie is more interesting than the other movies.
