AはBより〜です is the basic Japanese comparison: A is more ~ than B. 電車はバスより速いです means “Trains are faster than buses.” Japanese has no “-er” or “more” on the adjective; より (than) does all the comparing.
より means "than." Whatever comes right before より is the thing that has less of the quality.
What does は〜より・・・です mean?
The pattern compares two things on one quality:
- A (with は) is the topic, the thing you’re talking about.
- B (with より) is the point of comparison, the “than” part.
- The adjective is the quality. A has more of it than B.
今日は昨日より暑いです. Today is hotter than yesterday. The adjective 暑い stays in its normal form. There is no separate comparative form in Japanese, so 暑い can mean “hot” or “hotter” depending on whether より is in the sentence.
This matters for English speakers: you don’t need to add もっと (more) to make a comparison. 東京は大阪より大きいです is already complete.
How to form は〜より・・・です
- い-adjectives: 電車はバスより速いです
- な-adjectives: 兄は私より料理が上手です
- Adjectives with が: 東京は大阪より人が多いです
- Past: 昨日は今日より寒かったです
To show how much more, put a degree word before the adjective: ずっと (much), 少し (a little), ちょっと (a bit). 東京は大阪よりずっと大きいです.
Casual speech drops です and uses the plain form: 電車はバスより速いよ.
When is は〜より・・・です used?
- Stating a fact or opinion about A. You’re already talking about A, and you compare it to something: この店はあの店より安いです.
- Describing people. 兄は私より背が高いです (My brother is taller than me).
- Talking about changes over time. 今年の夏は去年より暑いです.
- Making recommendations. 電車はタクシーより安いですよ (The train is cheaper than a taxi, you know).
Register: neutral. With です it’s polite; without it, casual. It appears everywhere, from conversation to simple written descriptions.
は〜より・・・です example sentences
Look at example 6: English says “more people,” but Japanese says “people are many-er” (人が多い). Quantities like “more” and “fewer” come from 多い and 少ない with が.
Nuance of は〜より・・・です
Because A is marked with は, the sentence is about A. You are describing A, and B is just the measuring stick. That makes this pattern the natural choice when A is already the topic of conversation or when you’re giving information about A.
It is not the natural way to answer “Which is faster?” When someone asks you to choose, the answer should highlight the winner with のほうが, as in 電車のほうが速いです. That’s covered in the next section.
は〜より・・・です vs より～ほうが
Both compare two things, but they answer different questions. より～ほうが points at the winner; は〜より describes the topic.
A handy rule: if the conversation started with どちら, answer with のほうが. If you’re just describing something, use は〜より.
Common mistakes with は〜より・・・です
English "faster than" makes learners put より after the faster thing. より marks the slower one, the "than" side.
と means "and" or "with." Only より means "than."
多い almost never comes directly before a noun. Say what there is more of with が, then 多いです.
Is は〜より・・・です on the JLPT?
Yes. は〜より・・・です is core JLPT N5 grammar, tested together with より～ほうが and いちばん.
- Fill より into blanks like 「バス（ ）電車のほうが速い」
- Work out which item has more of the quality in reading passages
- Answer listening questions that ask which is cheaper, bigger, or faster
Listening items love to compare three things one pair at a time. Write down each "A > B" as you hear it and the answer usually falls out.
Practice questions for は〜より・・・です
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日本語は英語より難しいです。 — Japanese is harder than English.
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兄は私よりずっと背が高いです。 — My older brother is much taller than me.
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昨日は今日より寒かったです。 — Yesterday was colder than today.
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この町は東京より車が少ないです。 — This town has fewer cars than Tokyo.
Learning path for は〜より・・・です
Related grammar to review next
- より～ほうが — the answer form for どちら questions, the pattern most often confused with this one.
- の中で〜が一番 — the superlative, for comparing three or more things.
- 一番（いちばん） — “the most,” the next step up from “more than.”
- い-adjectives — the adjectives you’ll put at the end of every comparison.
Learn は〜より・・・です with Hane
Hane gives you quick A-versus-B prompts so you get used to putting より on the right noun. Practice comparisons with Hane.
FAQ about は〜より・・・です
What does は〜より・・・です (wa yori desu) mean in Japanese?
は〜より・・・です (wa yori desu) means “is more than”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. The pattern compares two things on one quality:
How do you form は〜より・・・です (wa yori desu)?
A は B より adjective + です - い-adjectives: 電車はバスより速いです - な-adjectives: 兄は私より料理が上手です - Adjectives with が: 東京は大阪より人が多いです - Past: 昨日は今日より寒かったです To show how much more, put a degree word before the adjective: ずっと (much), 少し (a little), ちょっと (a bit). 東京は大阪よりずっと大きいです.
What is the difference between は〜より・・・です and より～ほうが?
AはBより〜です: describing A. BよりAのほうが〜です: picking the winner.
What is an example sentence with は〜より・・・です (wa yori desu)?
電車はバスより速いです。 — Trains are faster than buses.