How do you use "than" in a sentence?

She is taller than her brother. I would rather walk than take the bus. There were more than fifty people at the party.

than

Q: What does "than" mean?

Used to introduce the second element in a comparison 'Than' is used after comparative adjectives and adverbs to introduce the second element of a comparison ('taller than', 'more quickly than'). It also appears in expressions like 'rather than', 'other than', 'no sooner... than', and 'more than' (meaning 'very'). Note the difference between 'than' (comparison) and 'then' (time).

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: Used to introduce the second element in a comparison

比，与其...不如

que (comparativo)

〜より、〜よりも

~보다, ~보다도

'Than' is used after comparative adjectives and adverbs to introduce the second element of a comparison ('taller than', 'more quickly than'). It also appears in expressions like 'rather than', 'other than', 'no sooner... than', and 'more than' (meaning 'very'). Note the difference between 'than' (comparison) and 'then' (time).

「than」用于比较级形容词和副词之后，引入比较的第二个要素（「taller than」、「more quickly than」）。它还出现在「rather than」、「other than」、「no sooner... than」和「more than」（意为「非常」）等表达中。注意「than」（比较）和「then」（时间）的区别。

«Than» se usa después de adjetivos y adverbios comparativos para introducir el segundo elemento de una comparación («taller than», «more quickly than»). También aparece en expresiones como «rather than», «other than», «no sooner... than», y «more than» (que significa «muy»). Nota la diferencia entre «than» (comparación) y «then» (tiempo).

「than」は比較級の形容詞や副詞の後に使われ、比較の2番目の要素を導入します（「taller than」「more quickly than」）。また、「rather than」「other than」「no sooner... than」「more than」（「非常に」の意味）などの表現にも現れます。「than」（比較）と「then」（時間）の違いに注意してください。

'Than'은 비교급 형용사나 부사 뒤에 쓰여 비교 대상을 도입합니다('taller than', 'more quickly than'). 'rather than', 'other than', 'no sooner... than', 'more than'('매우'의 뜻) 등의 표현에도 사용됩니다. 비교를 나타내는 'than'과 시간을 나타내는 'then'의 차이에 주의해야 합니다.

Examples

She is taller than her brother.
她比她哥哥高。
Ella es más alta que su hermano.
彼女は兄より背が高い。
그녀는 오빠보다 키가 크다.
I would rather walk than take the bus.
我宁愿走路也不愿坐公交车。
Prefiero caminar que tomar el autobús.
バスに乗るより歩きたい。
버스를 타느니 차라리 걷겠다.
There were more than fifty people at the party.
派对上有五十多人。
Había más de cincuenta personas en la fiesta.
パーティーには50人以上の人がいた。
파티에 50명 이상이 있었다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: general

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old English 'þonne' or 'þanne', meaning 'at that time' or 'next'. From Proto-Germanic *þan(ē). Originally the same word as 'then'; the two spellings diverged to distinguish comparison from sequence.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal