～より (than)

• Reading: より
• Romaji: yori
• Formation: Noun / Verb plain form + より + Predicate

Meaning

A particle used to indicate the basis for comparison. The element marked by より is the one being compared against, and the predicate states that the other element surpasses it in some quality.

より as a comparison particle marks the standard or baseline that something else exceeds. In the sentence AはBより大きい, B is the baseline and A exceeds it in size. より can be used alone without ほうが when the compared-to item is clear from context, making it flexible for concise statements. In formal or written Japanese, より alone is commonly used: 想像より良かった (It was better than I imagined). When both compared items are explicit, より pairs naturally with ほうが, but it can stand alone when one item is understood from context.

Examples

1. 思ったより簡単だった。 It was easier than I thought.
2. 去年より今年は雪が多い。 There is more snow this year than last year.
3. 東京は大阪より人口が多い。 Tokyo has a larger population than Osaka.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: comparative

Do Say

• 聞くより見たほうがわかりやすい。
• 昨日より調子がいい。
• 期待していたより面白かった。

Don't Say

• 東京は大阪からもっと大きい。(から marks a source, not comparison — use より for comparison: 東京は大阪より大きい) → 東京は大阪より大きい。
• 兄より私より背が高い。(より should appear only once per comparison pair — 兄より私のほうが背が高い) → 兄より私のほうが背が高い。

Origin & History

Derives from classical Japanese より, which originally marked a starting point or basis. The comparative meaning 'than' developed from the notion of measuring from a reference point.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal