に比べて — Compared To
Used to compare one thing against another, meaning 'compared to' or 'in comparison with'. It sets up a standard of comparison, and the main clause then describes how the subject differs from that standard. に比べ (dropping the て) is the more formal, written form.
Structure
[Noun] + に比べて／に比べ
Examples
去年に比べて、今年は雨が多い。
Kyonen ni kurabete, kotoshi wa ame ga ooi.
Compared to last year, there is a lot of rain this year.
去年に比べて sets last year as the baseline for comparing this year's rain.
都会に比べて、田舎は物価が安い。
Tokai ni kurabete, inaka wa bukka ga yasui.
Compared to the city, prices are cheaper in the countryside.
都会に比べて makes the city the standard against which the countryside is measured.
以前に比べ、彼の日本語はずいぶん上達した。
Izen ni kurabe, kare no nihongo wa zuibun joutatsu shita.
Compared to before, his Japanese has improved considerably.
に比べ (formal) sets 'before' as the reference point for his improvement.
• に比べ (without て) is the more formal/written variant. • The compared standard takes に; the main topic is often marked with は. • Neutral register, usable in both speech and writing.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones に比べて is tested against.
vs より
より is the basic comparative particle ('than'); に比べて frames a fuller 'in comparison with' relationship and often introduces the standard at the start of a clause.
vs に対して
に対して contrasts two things in opposition ('whereas'); に比べて specifically measures a degree of difference against a baseline.
More comparison
Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki
Everything on this page, free to browse
- 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio
- 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
- 444 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
- Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio
Get the Android app