Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 2 · Chapter 6

这个不如那个 This one's not as good as that one

Zhège bùrú nàge

Two comparison patterns: A 不如 B ("A isn't as good as B") and A 跟 B 一样 ("A is the same as B"). Together with last chapter's 比 + 更/还 + 数量补语, they round out Level 2's comparison grammar.

Dialogue

这家不如那家 — This place isn't as good as that one

周雨张zhāng天tiān, 这zhè家jiā不bù如rú那nà家jiā. Zhang Tian, this place isn't as good as that one.
张天怎zěn么me不bù如rú? 在zài这zhè边biān还hái是shì那nà边biān? Not as good how? Is it on this side or that side?
周雨那nà家jiā更gēng新xīn, 更gèng干gān净jìng, 也yě更gèng安ān静jìng. That place is newer, cleaner, and quieter too.
张天那nà我wǒ们men去qù那nà家jiā. Then let's go to that one.
周雨好hǎo, 出chū发fā! Great, let's go!

Dialogue

你的手机跟我的一样吗 — Is your phone the same as mine

周雨你nǐ的de手shǒu机jī跟gēn我wǒ的de一yí样yàng吗ma? Is your phone the same as mine?
张天我wǒ的de手shǒu机jī跟gēn你nǐ的de不bù一yí样yàng. My phone is different from yours.
周雨怎zěn么me不bù一yí样yàng? How are they different?
张天你nǐ的de更gēng新xīn, 也yě更gèng轻qīng. Yours is newer, and lighter too.
周雨不bú过guò你nǐ的de也yě不bú错cuò. But yours is pretty good too.

Dialogue

这本不如那本重 — This book isn't as heavy as that one

周雨这zhè本běn书shū重zhòng吗ma? 我wǒ想xiǎng带dài一yì本běn轻qīng的de. Is this book heavy? I want to take a light one.
张天不bú重zhòng. 这zhè本běn不bù如rú那nà本běn重zhòng. Not heavy. This one isn't as heavy as that one.
周雨那nà本běn是shì新xīn的de吗ma? Is that one new?
张天是shì, 但dàn是shì这zhè本běn也yě不bú错cuò. Yes, but this one is pretty good too.
周雨那nà我wǒ看kàn这zhè本běn. Then I'll read this one.

Vocabulary

不bù如rú: verb not as good as — A 不如 B (chapter grammar anchor)
一yí样yàng: adj./adv. the same — used in 跟…一样 (chapter grammar anchor)
不bù一yí样yàng: adjective different — negative pair of 一样
干gān净jìng: adjective clean
不bú错cuò: adjective pretty good; not bad
差chà: adjective bad; poor in quality (also Level 2: chà differs from 差不多 ch2 — same character)
重zhòng: adjective heavy (also reads chóng "again" — deferred)
轻qīng: adjective light (in weight) — pair with 重
远yuǎn: adjective far (in distance)
近jìn: adjective near; close (in distance)
离lí: preposition distance from — A 离 B + adj/distance (formal lesson ch13)

New characters

如: as if; like (in 如果)
不如 bùrú — not as good as — A 不如 B (chapter grammar anchor)如果 rúguǒ — if (conditional; pairs with 那 — 如果 X 那 Y)
干gān: dry (gān, in 干净); to do (gàn, deferred)
干净 gānjìng — clean能干 nénggàn — capable; able
净: clean (in 干净)
干净 gānjìng — clean
轻qīng: light (in weight) — pair with 重
带dài: bring; take (recall Bk1)
离lí: distance from (revisit ch6 vocab); apart from

Hanzi — writing & recognition

远

yuǎn far (in distance) Writing

7 strokes left-right radical 辶

Phono-semantic compound: 辶 (walking radical) + 元 (yuán, both phonetic AND semantic — 元 originally meant "head / origin / far-away start"). Together: "to walk to a faraway place". Forms the core distance pair with 近 (near).

近

jìn near; close (in distance) Writing

7 strokes left-right radical 辶

Phono-semantic compound: 辶 (walking radical) + 斤 (jīn, phonetic — also means "axe / catty"). Together: "a short walk away". The core opposite of 远.

同

tóng same; together Writing

6 strokes top-bottom

同 = "together / same / identical". Original sense: bringing things together to match. Modern uses: 同样 (likewise), 同事 (colleague — "together-business"), 同学 (classmate — "together-study"). The "sameness" cluster.

差

chà / chā / chāi bad / poor (chà, this chapter); 差不多 prefix (chà, ch2 revisit); difference (chā, formal); to send (chāi) Writing

9 strokes top-bottom

干

gān / gàn dry (gān, in 干净); to do (gàn, deferred) Recognition

3 strokes single-component

净

jìng clean (in 干净) Recognition

8 strokes left-right radical 氵

重

zhòng / chóng heavy (zhòng, this chapter); again (chóng, deferred) Recognition

9 strokes single-component

轻

qīng light (in weight) — pair with 重 Recognition

9 strokes left-right radical 车

Grammar

A 不如 B — "not as good as"

Explanation

A 不如 B means "A isn't as good as B" — the negative side of the comparison family (the opposite of A 比 B + adj). You can add an adjective: A 不如 B + adj = "A is less [adj] than B". Important: 不如 has no affirmative version. To say "A is as good as B", use 跟…一样 (next lesson) or 比 patterns. There IS an affirmative cousin — A 有 B 那么 + adj ("A is as [adj] as B") — but it's very common; this chapter introduces it as a brief gloss, with the main focus on 不如.

Examples

这家不如那家. This place is not as good as that one.
这本不如那本重. This book is not as heavy as that one.
这个不如那个干净. This one isn't as clean as that one.

Grammar

A 跟 B 一样 — "the same as"

Explanation

A 跟 B 一样 means "A is the same as B". Add an adjective for "as [adj] as": A 跟 B 一样 + adj = "A is as [adj] as B". Negate by inserting 不 before 一样: A 跟 B 不一样 = "A is different from B". Crucial pattern rule: 跟 (preposition) and 一样 (adjective predicate) work together — neither half stands alone in this construction. "我跟你" by itself isn't a complete clause (missing the predicate); "我们一样" without 跟 isn't the comparison pattern (it's just a different sentence). Always pair them.

Examples

你nǐ的de手shǒu机jī跟gēn我wǒ的de一yí样yàng吗ma? Is your phone the same as mine?
我wǒ的de手shǒu机jī跟gēn你nǐ的de不bù一yí样yàng. My phone is different from yours.
这家跟那家一样干净. This place is as clean as that one.

Pronunciation

半三声 — half-third tone in connected speech Half-third tone in connected speech

Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Study in the app →