Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| …より少ない | |
| それほど…ない | sorehodo… nai |
The phrase 'less' is expressed using two different structures: one for describing quantity and another for describing degree.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase …より少ない, the particle より functions as a comparative marker meaning 'than', while 少ない is an i-adjective meaning 'few', 'little' or 'small amount'.
Which one should you use?
Use …より少ない when you are referring to physical quantity or amount, such as saying 'less than five'. Use それほど…ない when you want to express that something is 'less' in terms of intensity or degree, such as 'not that cold'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form それほど…ない is used to express 'less' in the sense of degree, functioning as 'not so much' or 'not that much' when it is paired with a negative verb or adjective. The form …より少ない is used to express 'less' in terms of quantity or amount compared to something else.
Did you know?
- In formal Japanese, instead of saying 'less than', one might use the Sino-Japanese reading of 未満 (miman), which literally means 'not yet reached'.
- In Japanese, the concept of 'less' is often expressed through the 'double negative' or 'not as much' structure それほど…ない because directly stating that something is inferior or 'less' can be perceived as too blunt or rude in social settings.
- If you want to say 'less' in terms of a reduction in volume or amount, Japanese often uses the verb 減る (heru) rather than an adjective.
Example sentences for Japanese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “less” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
