Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 41
ぞうは うさぎより おおきいですThe elephant is bigger than the rabbit
Talking about nature and animals. Vocabulary: doubutsu, zō, tori, usagi, saru, yama, umi, kawa, hana, sora, shizen, tsuyoi. Key grammar: how to compare. "A wa B yori ~" says A is more ~ than B: "zō wa usagi yori ōkii desu" (the elephant is bigger than the rabbit). "B yori A no hō ga ~" means the same: "usagi yori zō no hō ga ōkii desu". "~ ga ichiban ~" says the most ~ in a group: "zō ga ichiban ōkii desu" (the elephant is the biggest). Note: "yori" alone already means "more ~", so you do not need "motto". English speakers, thinking of "more ... than", tend to use both "yori" and "motto": "usagi yori motto ōkii" △ → "usagi yori ōkii" ○. Kana corner: the sound of "yori", "hō ga", "ichiban", and long vowels "zō", "chō".
Dialogue
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どうぶつえんで— At the zoo
- Yukiマイクさん、あそこのぞうをみてください。とてもおおきいですね。Mike, look at the elephant over there. It is very big, isn't it.
- Mikeほんとうだ！ぞうはうさぎよりもっとおおきいですね！Really! The elephant is more bigger than the rabbit!
- Yukiそうですね。でも、「より」だけでもう「もっと」のいみがありますよ。「うさぎよりおおきいです」でいいんです。Right. But "yori" by itself already has the meaning of "motto". "Usagi yori ōkii desu" is enough.
- Mikeあっ、そうですか。じゃあ「ぞうはうさぎよりおおきいです」ですね。Oh, I see. So it's "zō wa usagi yori ōkii desu", right?
- Yukiはい、かんぺきです！では、どうぶつのなかでなにがいちばんつよいですか。Yes, perfect! So, among the animals, which is the strongest?
- Mikeぞうがいちばんつよいです！わたしはぞうがだいすきです。The elephant is the strongest! I really like elephants.
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やまが すき？ うみが すき？— Mountains or the sea?
- Kenユキさんはやまがすきですか、うみがすきですか。Yuki, do you like the mountains or the sea?
- Yukiわたしはうみよりやまのほうがすきです。I like the mountains more than the sea.
- Kenそうですか。わたしはやまよりうみのほうがすきです。うみはとてもおおきいです。Is that so. I like the sea more than the mountains. The sea is very big.
- Yukiなるほど。でもやまにはとりやさるがいますよ。かわいいです。I see. But in the mountains there are birds and monkeys, you know. They're cute.
- Kenいいですね！うみにはおおきいさかながいます。さかなはとりよりおおきいです。Nice! In the sea there are big fish. Fish are bigger than birds.
- Yukiあはは！では、こんどいっしょにやまにいきましょう。Haha! Then, let's go to the mountains together next time.
Vocabulary
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- どうぶつ
nounanimal
- ぞう
nounelephant
- とり
nounbird
- うさぎ
nounrabbit
- さる
nounmonkey
- やま
nounmountain
- うみ
nounsea
- かわ
nounriver
- はな
nounflower
- そら
nounsky
- しぜん
nounnature
- つよい
i-adj.strong
Grammar
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Comparing: A wa B yori ~ / ~ ga ichiban ~
Explanation
To compare two things, use "yori". "A wa B yori ~ (adjective)" means "compared with B, A is more ~": "zō wa usagi yori ōkii desu" = comparing the elephant and the rabbit, the elephant is big. You can say the same meaning as "B yori A no hō ga ~": "usagi yori zō no hō ga ōkii desu". "Hō ga" carries the feeling of "the side of ~". To say the most ~ among three or more, use "(~ no naka de) ~ ga ichiban ~": "dōbutsu no naka de zō ga ichiban ōkii desu" (among animals, the elephant is the biggest). Important note: "yori" by itself already means "more ~", so you do not use "motto" with it. If, thinking of English "A is more big than B", you use both "yori" and "motto", the meaning overlaps: "usagi yori motto ōkii" △ → "usagi yori ōkii" ○.
Examples
- ぞうは うさぎより おおきいです。The elephant is bigger than the rabbit.
- うさぎより ぞうの ほうが おおきいです。The elephant is bigger than the rabbit (the elephant is the bigger one).
- いぬは ねこより つよいです。The dog is stronger than the cat.
- ふゆは なつより さむいです。Winter is colder than summer.
- どうぶつの なかで ぞうが いちばん おおきいです。Among animals, the elephant is the biggest.
Kana
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くらべる ことばと ながい ぼいん— Comparison words and long vowels
Read the sentences and find the long vowels and "yori" / "ichiban":
- ぞうは うさぎより おおきいzō wa usagi yori ōkiizō (long ō) + ōkii (double o) + yori
- ぞうの ほうが つよいzō no hō ga tsuyoihō ga = long "hō" + ga
- いちばん たかい やまichiban takai yamaichiban = the most, superlative
- ちょうと そらと うみchō to sora to umichō (small yo + long ō), short vowels sora / umi
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