# 私のパソコンはあなたのより遅いです。Why is ～のほうが  not used?



## Kyon404

I was studying how to make a comparison in Japanese. I was given this sentence as an example:

中国のほうが日本より大きです。

But in an exercise I came across this sentence: 私のパソコンはあなたのより遅いです. I mean, without using [のほうが」. In my case I'd written: 私のパソコン*のほうが*あなたのより遅いです。 However, I have been told this sentence is wrong.

So when do I have to use 「のほうが」 when making comparisons between two items? I can't understand when I have to use it and when I don't.

Thank you.


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## karlalou

Kyon404 said:


> 私のパソコン*のほうが*あなたのより遅いです。


I don't know why you've been told it's wrong. Your sentence has no problem.
It just slightly sounds like emphasizing.

私のパソコンはあなたのより遅いです, 中国は日本より大きいです simply state the fact.

の(of)ほう(方／direction, side), so it's nothing wrong but it's in a way redundant. But sometimes it sounds more polite or caring like when apologizing: 私(わたし)の方(ほう)が間違(まちが)っていました. Well, but the difference is very small. I think it's more of personal habit.

But のほうが is also used effectively to make an opposing statement.
Ａ：私のパソコンは遅いです。
Ｂ：でも、私のパソコンのほうがあなたのより（もっと）遅いです。


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## SoLaTiDoberman

I agree with karlaow. Your sentence seems okay.

In your case, your Japanese teacher advised you not to use excessive 「～のほう」 because native Japanese speaker tend to use too many 「～のほう」.
For example:
At a cafeteria:
ウェイトレス：「食後のお飲み物は、コーヒーと紅茶が選べます。どちらをお持ちいたしましょうか？」
客：「じゃあ、私はコーヒーのほうを。」「コーヒーのほうを下さい。」
In this context, using のほう　is not completely wrong grammatically, and a lot of younger people actually use it.
However, older and very-keen-to-the-Japanese-grammar people may frown to hear that. They think it's just redundant.
じゃあ、私はコーヒーにします。　じゃあ、コーヒーを下さい。are the candidates that they would recommend.

Taking this information into consideration, I still think that your sentence is as good as the original version. I mean, in your case, both sentences with or without のほうが are perfectly fine.

Your teacher might just think that the simpler and more concise version would be better.
I can agree with your teacher from that point of view.


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## AmaryllisBunny

Would this be right?

好きな食べ物は野菜のほうが肉よりです.

It is still working off of the same structure, just a different order?

or

私はコーヒーよりお茶のほうが良いです.


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## karlalou

AmaryllisBunny said:


> Would this be right?
> 好きな食べ物は野菜のほうが肉よりです.


Knowing you are not native to Japanese I understand what you want to say but if I read it assuming it's right it'll be like quoting the phrase and reporting it is it:「好きな食べ物は野菜のほうが肉より」です.
The natural way to say it is 好きな食べ物は肉より野菜です


> 私はコーヒーよりお茶のほうが良いです.


This is perfectly alright.

好きな食べ物は肉より野菜のほうがいいです is acceptable but still a little awkward because 好きな食べ物は and がいいです do not match quite well each other.

肉より野菜のほうが好きです。
野菜のほうが肉より好きです。
These are natural.

I wonder how we would say using both 好きな食べ物は and のほう together..
OK.
好きな食べ物は肉より野菜のほうです。
This is natural.


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## AmaryllisBunny

Would it just be possible to say,

食べ物は野菜のほうが肉より好きです。

How come in your example　「好きな食べ物は肉より野菜です」　「野菜」　goes after 「肉より」and there is no　「ほう」？

テニスは見るのほうがするより好きです。


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## karlalou

AmaryllisBunny said:


> Would it just be possible to say,
> 食べ物は野菜のほうが肉より好きです。


Yes. This is good and natural.



> How come in your example　「好きな食べ物は肉より野菜です」　「野菜」　goes after 「肉より」and there is no　「ほう」？


To my ear 肉よりです does not work.
Something is needed between 肉より and です.

But if 肉よりです was said alone, it's acceptable.
好きな食べ物は野菜です。肉よりです。better with も. 肉よりもです sounds more complete. The same is applied to 好きな食べ物は肉より野菜です. 好きな食べ物は肉*よりも*野菜です。

ほう also can be put into this sentence as I wrote at the last part in the previous reply. 好きな食べ物は肉より(も)野菜のほうです。



> テニスは見るのほうがするより好きです。


Your の here should be eliminated.
Isn't this so complicated? But we don't say 見るのほうが.
見ることのほうが is grammatically correct, but too rigid and no one would say that.
テニスは見るほうがするより好きです is natural.


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## wind-sky-wind

First, in Japanese there's not something like "comparative degree."
"A の方が" suggests "out of the two, A is more/better than the other."

So, "私のパソコン*の方が*あなたのより遅いです" might be original and better than just "私のパソコンはあなたのより遅いです."

As the translation for "My PC is slower than yours," however, the latter is used in many cases.
Just by seeing "あなたのより." this is the translation from English.


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## frequency

Kyon404 said:


> In my case I'd written: 私のパソコン*のほうが*あなたのより遅いです。 However, I have been told this sentence is wrong.


 
In 私のパソコンはあなたのより遅いです。 vs 私のパソコンのほうがあなたのより遅いです。, some people would feel the use of both of のほうが and のより doubly, redundant. I suppose that's why you've been told it's wrong.
The second isn't wrong badly though, the first is better.　(Is it strictly wrong anyway?)


中国は日本より大きいです。　私のパソコンはあなたのより遅いです。..
you've already got （の）より. Using （の）ほうが with it may become redandunt, indeed. (I think so.)


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## AmaryllisBunny

So, from what I've seen, sentences can work with *just* より for the comparison. However, would it be possible to make a sentence using only ほう without より ?

Another question... How would one compare more than two objects then? Would you just use 一番好き、二番好き、三番好き？


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## Shiratori99

AmaryllisBunny said:


> So, from what I've seen, sentences can work with *just* より for the comparison. However, would it be possible to make a sentence using only ほう without より ?



私のパソコンのほうが遅いです。 = My PC is slower (than yours is implied).


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## AmaryllisBunny

Thank you Shiratori99 . You're always so helpful!


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## karlalou

> So, from what I've seen, sentences can work with *just* より for the comparison. However, would it be possible to make a sentence using only ほう without より ?





> 私のパソコンのほうが遅いです。 = My PC is slower (than yours is implied).


Exactly. 



> Another question... How would one compare more than two objects then? Would you just use 一番好き、二番好き、三番好き？


Yes.
We would say, 〜が一番好き。２番*目に*好きなのは〜。３番*目は*〜。
Or １番好きなのは〜。２番目は〜。

Or その[この]３つのなかで１番好きなのは〜。２番目は〜。
この３つのなかだったら、〜。

If it's a business talk then there's other ways of saying it such as この３つの選択肢でしたら、第１希望は〜.


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## AmaryllisBunny

So is there any way to use the comparative and superlative all in one sentence?

I like coffee, chocolate more, and raspberries the most.

Is it possible to say, between [...] [...] [...] I like [...] the most, [...] etc.?


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## 810senior

Yes you can.
My attempt says "私はコーヒーが好きです。チョコレートはもっと好きです。そして、ラズベリーが一番好きです。" or "私はコーヒーが好きですが、チョコレートはもっと好きです。そして一番好きなのはラズベリーです。".

I suppose there are tons of possibilities to make the sentence like this.


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## AmaryllisBunny

Thank you so much 810senior  ! Does the number 810 hold any particular significance?


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## 810senior

@AmaryllisBunny, you can read it as _ya_(8), _juu_(10) and it means a beast(野獣) in Japanese. (・∀・)


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## AmaryllisBunny

Waah ! Thank you for the pointer. It is similar to ya(8) in yaoki　「七転び八起き」.　Does the senior part have another meaning?


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## Shiratori99

810senior said:


> @AmaryllisBunny, you can read it as _ya_(8), _juu_(10) and it means a beast(野獣) in Japanese. (・∀・)



野獣先輩のことですねｗ


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## Kyon404

SoLaTiDoberman said:


> ウェイトレス：「食後のお飲み物は、コーヒーと紅茶が選べます。どちらをお持ちいたしましょうか？」
> 客：「じゃあ、私はコーヒー*のほう*を。」「コーヒーの*ほう*を下さい。」



But I don't understand why then people use のほう here. It's doesn't look a comparison. What would it mean here?





karlalou said:


> Knowing you are not native to Japanese I understand what you want to say but if I read it assuming it's right it'll be like quoting the phrase and reporting it is it:「好きな食べ物は野菜のほうが肉より」です.
> The natural way to say it is 好きな食べ物は肉より野菜です。



And in this case, the sentence means: My favorite food is vegetables rather than meat ? 
Or something of the sort?


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## karlalou

> The natural way to say it is 好きな食べ物は肉より野菜です。





> And in this case, the sentence means: My favorite food is vegetables rather than meat ?


Yes, that is correct.



> But I don't understand why then people use のほう here. It's doesn't look a comparison. What would it mean here?


のほう means (this/that) side or direction.
It's not grammatically wrong to use it when choosing something from options. However it is not necessary, this redundant softens the words. It's also up to tonal voice and the person's attitude, but it adds a little more caring quality or elegance to the words.


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## frequency

Kyon404 said:


> And in this case, the sentence means: My favorite food is vegetables rather than meat ?
> Or something of the sort?


 
Good.
好きな食べ物は野菜です。 This is much more natural. Because this is X=X (Noun = Noun).　
And this is not the structure that can be used for the comparison.
Say 私は肉より野菜が好きです。


Then how about the similar structure: X=Y + Zより？


肉より野菜が良い。 This is correct and a Noun = Predicative adjective case.
This is equal to your PC case: 私のパソコン＝遅い. (Not Noun = Noun, X is how. X = Predicative adj.
You're adding information: 私のパソコンは遅いです→私のパソコンは（あなたのより）遅いです)

And 良い can form the comparison structure because it is the adjective used for mentioning quality.
I mean a quality matter involves the comparison easily; this is usual in every language.

(Rather than sb/sth means instead of sb/sth. It doesn't work for the comparison.
_I love tea rather than coffee_ is not grammatically the comparison.)


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