より
yori
Than; rather than; more than
Marks the standard of comparison in 'X wa Y yori ...' meaning 'X is more ... than Y'.
How to form it
Yori follows a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase directly. It does not attach to verbs or adjectives. The compared item (X) is the topic with 'wa' or subject with 'ga'.
What it means
Yori is the basic particle for comparison. Place it after the thing you are comparing against. The sentence then states that the topic is more (adjective/adverb) than that thing. For example, 'Kono hon wa ano hon yori omoshiroi' means 'This book is more interesting than that book.' The adjective or adverb comes at the end and is not marked with 'yori' itself.
You can also use 'yori' alone to mean 'rather than' when choosing between options. For instance, 'ocha yori koohii ga nomitai' means 'I want to drink coffee rather than tea.' In this case, the preferred option is the subject or topic, and the less preferred one carries 'yori'.
Be careful: 'yori' is a particle, not a suffix. It does not change form. It is used in both spoken and written Japanese, but in very casual speech, people might use 'yori' in shortened phrases like 'sore yori' (more than that / rather than that), but that is still standard.
Example sentences
日本語は英語より難しいです。
Nihongo wa Eigo yori muzukashii desu.
Japanese is more difficult than English.
電車よりバスの方が速いです。
Densha yori basu no hou ga hayai desu.
The bus is faster than the train.
日曜日より土曜日の方が好きです。
Nichiyoubi yori doyoubi no hou ga suki desu.
I like Saturday more than Sunday.
Don’t confuse it with
no hou ga
'Yori' marks the comparison standard, while 'no hou ga' marks the preferred item. They are often used together: 'A yori B no hou ga ...' means 'B is more ... than A'. You can use 'yori' alone, but with adjectives that express preference, 'no hou ga' is more natural.
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Neutral; used in both speaking and writing. In casual speech, you might hear 'yori' in short phrases, but it is not rude or overly formal.
Next in the N4 path
16Questions
What does より mean?
Than; rather than; more than. Marks the standard of comparison in 'X wa Y yori ...' meaning 'X is more ... than Y'.
How do you form より?
Yori follows a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase directly. It does not attach to verbs or adjectives. The compared item (X) is the topic with 'wa' or subject with 'ga'.
Example of より in a sentence
日本語は英語より難しいです。 — Japanese is more difficult than English.
no hou ga — what is the difference?
'Yori' marks the comparison standard, while 'no hou ga' marks the preferred item. They are often used together: 'A yori B no hou ga ...' means 'B is more ... than A'. You can use 'yori' alone, but with adjectives that express preference, 'no hou ga' is more natural.
What JLPT level is より?
JLPT N4 (upper beginner), number 15 of 131 in Nihoner's learning order for N4.
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