Let’s be honest, we all love making comparisons, right?

“That anime was more exciting than the last!” or “My onigiri is bigger than yours!”. 

Of course, no need to compare yourself, but when it comes to food, travel spots, or anime characters, Japanese people compare things all the time too.

And the magic word that makes all these comparisons possible is より (yori).

It’s everywhere in daily life, and once you get used to it, you’ll be saying things like “dogs are cuter than cats” or “today is colder than yesterday” in no time.

Ready? Let’s jump in and master より together!

もっと (motto) → means “more” in a general sense. Used in a general sense of “more,” often when requesting or suggesting.

もっとゆっくり話してくれますか？
motto yukkuri hanashite kuremasu ka?
Will you please speak more slowly?

💡 Tips:

→ In Japanese, the thing being compared to (the baseline) comes right before より.

 → For Pattern 2 (より + Adjective / Adverb), you can often replace より with もっと in daily conversation.

Example: よりていねいに → もっとていねいに

Both sound natural, but より is a bit more formal, while もっと feels more casual.

昨日より 今日は あついね。
kinou yori kyou ha atsui ne
Today is hotter than yesterday.
You can also say:
今日は 昨日より あついね。
kyu ha kinou yori atsui ne

ケアレスミスが つづいていますね。よりていねいに仕事を すすめましょう。
kearesu misu ga tsuzuite imasu ne. yori teinei ni shigoto o susumemashou
We’ve been making careless mistakes. Let’s proceed more carefully.

あの本よりこの本はおもしろいです。
ano hon yori kono hon ha omoshiroi desu
This book is more interesting than that one.

たまごサンドよりツナおにぎりが すきです。
tamago sando yori tsuna onigiri ga suki desu
I like tuna rice balls more than egg sandwiches.

英語より日本語はアルファベットが多いです。
eigo yori Nihongo ha arufabetto ga ooi desu
Japanese has more characters than English.

スマホで勉強するより、ノートに書いた方が おぼえやすいです。
sumaho de benkyou suru yori, nooto ni kaita hou ga oboe yasui desu
It’s easier to remember when writing in a notebook than studying on a smartphone.

日本のアニメを日本語で見たけどちょっとしかわからなかった。でも、より勉強しようって気持ちになった！
nihon no anime wo Nihongo de mita kedo chotto shika wakaranakatta. demo, yori benkyou shiyou tte kimochi ni natta!
I tried watching Japanese anime in Japanese, but I only understood a little. Still, it made me feel like studying even more!

• Grammar Point: より (yori)
• JLPT Level: N4
• Meaning: Than, rather than, more than
• Quick Explanation: より (yori) is a particle used to mark the starting point or the standard of comparison.
  It shows that one thing is compared to another in terms of degree, quality, or preference.
  

So that’s how we use より (yori) in Japanese!

It’s an essential word for making comparisons, whether you’re talking about timelines, preferences, or anything in between.

From today, try using より in your own sentences! You’ll see how handy it is. 

Your Sensei,

Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫

Get Hikari's JLPT Mock Exams & Preparation Lessons!

Whether you are studying to pass the JLPT or looking for a challenge in your learning journey, these courses are perfect for you!