How to tell them apart
ほうが marks the item that has more of a quality, while より marks the baseline it is compared against, as in このカメラのほうがあのカメラより好きです. Either marker can appear alone, since あのカメラよりこのカメラが好きです and このカメラのほうが好きです are both natural. Used together they make the comparison explicit, with ほうが on the stronger side and より on the standard.
- より Use より to mark the standard you compare against, meaning than.
- ほうがより Use ほうが to mark the side that has more of the quality when comparing two things.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| より yori | Marks a comparison, meaning 'than' or 'more than' something | N5 |
| ほうがより hougayori | Used to say one thing has more of a quality than another | N5 |
より yori
Marks a comparison, meaning 'than' or 'more than' something
より marks the standard of comparison and means than. In the pattern AよりB, B has more of some quality than A, as in height, size, or frequency. It follows a noun directly, or a verb in its plain present form like 行くより, and it is often paired with ほうが, もっと, or も for emphasis as よりも. Note the order carefully, since the item before より is the one that loses the comparison.
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ビールよりワインをよく飲みます。
We drink wine more often than beer.
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この本はあの本よりも小さい。
This book is smaller than that one.
ほうがより hougayori
Used to say one thing has more of a quality than another
ほうが~より expresses that one thing has more of a quality than another, such as being bigger, better, or more liked. The item that loses the comparison takes より, while the winning noun takes の方が, as in 天ぷらよりサラダの方が, followed by an adjective or verb describing the quality. The の appears only after nouns. When the other item is clear from context, the より part can be left out.
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こちらのほうがずっといい。
This is better by far.
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トムのほうが年上です。
Tom's older.
より and ほうがより are both JLPT N5 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.