BよりAのほうが〜 means A is more ~ than B. バスより電車のほうが速いです: “Trains are faster than buses.”
It’s the pattern you use to pick a winner between two options. Someone asks “Which is better, tea or coffee?” and you answer with ほうが. The word ほう (方) literally means “side” or “direction,” so you’re saying “the train side is faster.”
より marks the loser, のほうが marks the winner. The adjective after them never changes.
What does より～ほうが mean?
The pattern has two markers, each with a clear job:
- より = “than.” It follows the thing that has less of the quality.
- のほうが = “(the) one that is more.” It follows the thing that has more of the quality, and が marks it as the answer.
Japanese adjectives have no “-er” form. 速い can mean “fast” or “faster”; the comparison comes entirely from より and ほうが. So you never need to change the adjective: 大きい stays 大きい, 静か stays 静か.
Translations depend on the adjective:
- faster / bigger / cheaper — any “-er” adjective
- more interesting / more convenient — longer adjectives
- prefer / like … better — with 好き: 肉より魚のほうが好きです (I like fish better than meat)
- better at — with 上手: 姉より妹のほうが上手です (my younger sister is better at it than my older sister)
How to form より～ほうが
The standard order puts より first and the winner second:
You can also flip the two halves with no change in meaning: AのほうがBより〜です. Both orders are common. The first sounds a little more natural as a direct answer, since the winner lands right before the adjective.
What goes before ほうが depends on the word type:
- Noun: add の → 電車のほうが
- Verb (dictionary form): no の → 歩くほうが
- い-adjective: no の → 安いほうが
- な-adjective: add な → 静かなほうが
At N5 you’ll mostly compare nouns. Verb comparisons (電話するより、会って話すほうがいいです — talking in person is better than calling) show up more at N4.
When is より～ほうが used?
The classic setting is a “which one?” question and its answer:
- Question: AとBと、どちらが〜ですか。 (Between A and B, which is more ~?)
- Answer: Aのほうが〜です。 or BよりAのほうが〜です。
In casual speech, どちら becomes どっち: 犬と猫、どっちが好き？ — 猫のほうが好き。
You also use it without a question when you’re choosing between two options out loud: comparing two apartments, two trains, two restaurants. When the comparison is already clear from context, the より half often disappears: こっちのほうが安いですよ (this one is cheaper, you know).
The pattern is neutral. です makes it polite, and dropping です makes it casual. Nothing else changes.
より～ほうが example sentences
B: 魚のほうが好きです。
In sentence 3, 物価が安い is itself a mini-sentence (“prices are low”). ほうが still marks Osaka as the winner, and the second が belongs to 物価.
Nuance of より～ほうが
ほうが implies a choice. Using ほう frames the sentence as “of these two options, this one.” That’s why it fits answers to どちら questions so well, and why it sounds a bit odd when no choice is in the air.
が makes the winner the new information. The listener asked which one, and が delivers the answer. If you replace ほうが with は (電車のほうは速いです), the sentence stops being an answer and starts sounding like “the train, at least, is fast (but…).”
Comparing only is not judging. 大阪のほうが安い says nothing about whether Osaka is cheap in absolute terms. It could still be expensive, just less so than Tokyo.
Two items only. より〜ほうが compares exactly two things. For three or more, Japanese switches to 一番 (the most): 果物の中でりんごが一番好きです.
Equal? If neither side wins, don't force ほうが. Say どちらも好きです (I like both) or 同じぐらいです (they're about the same).
より～ほうが vs は〜より・・・です
Both compare A and B, and both use より. The difference is what the sentence is doing.
If someone asks “What are trains like in Japan?”, answer with は〜より. If someone asks “Bus or train, which is faster?”, answer with ほうが. The English translation is often identical, but the question each one answers is different.
Common mistakes with より～ほうが
Is より～ほうが on the JLPT?
Yes. より～ほうが is standard JLPT N5 grammar and appears in grammar, reading and listening.
Listening questions love this pattern: two people compare two restaurants or two trains, and you choose which one they pick. Keep track of which noun comes before より (the loser) and which comes before のほうが (the winner).
Practice questions for より～ほうが
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バスよりちかてつのほうが便利です。 — The subway is more convenient than the bus.
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コーヒーのほうが好きです。 — I like coffee better.
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昨日より今日のほうが寒いです。 — Today is colder than yesterday.
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サッカーとやきゅう、どっちが楽しい？ — Soccer or baseball, which is more fun?
Learning path for より～ほうが
Related grammar to review next
- は〜より・・・です — the topic-based comparison that describes A rather than picking it.
- の中で[A]が一番 — the next step when you compare three or more things.
- ほうがいい — reuses ほう to recommend one action over another.
- とても — describes degree in one thing, while より～ほうが compares two.
Learn より～ほうが with Hane
Hane gives you quick “which one?” drills, so answering with のほうが becomes automatic. Practice comparisons alongside 一番 and ほうがいい on Hane.
FAQ about より～ほうが
What does より～ほうが (yori hou ga) mean in Japanese?
より～ほうが (yori hou ga) means “more than”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. The pattern has two markers, each with a clear job:
How do you form より～ほうが (yori hou ga)?
The standard order puts より first and the winner second: B より + A のほうが + adjective です You can also flip the two halves with no change in meaning: AのほうがBより〜です. Both orders are common.
What is the difference between より～ほうが and は〜より・・・です?
BよりAのほうが〜: picks a winner. AはBより〜: describes the topic.
What is an example sentence with より～ほうが (yori hou ga)?
バスより電車のほうが速いです。 — Trains are faster than buses.