不如

A Is Not as Good as B

Level 4Sounds Like bat1 jyu4

不如 (bat1 jyu4) is a formal comparison structure used to rank one thing below another in quality or ability. It is the literary equivalent of the colloquial 冇...咁 (mou5... gam3).

How It Works

The comparison pattern 不如 (bat1 jyu4) is primarily found in Standard Written Chinese (書面語 syu1 min6 jyu5) or formal speech. It carries a slightly more 'bookish' or 'proverbial' tone than everyday colloquial Cantonese.

1. Basic Structure:
The simplest form is [Subject A] + 不如 + [Subject B]. In this case, the 'goodness' or 'quality' is implied. For example, '佢不如你' (keoi5 bat1 jyu4 nei5) means 'He is not as good as you.'

2. Adding Adjectives:
If you want to specify the quality (e.g., speed, intelligence), you add the adjective after the second subject: [A] 不如 [B] + [Adjective]. Crucially, 不如 only works with positive qualities. You can say 'not as fast' (不如佢快 bat1 jyu4 keoi5 faai3), but you cannot use it for 'not as slow'.

3. The 'Rather Than' Structure:
At this level, you will encounter the paired structure 與其 (jyu5 kei4) ... 不如 (bat1 jyu4). This translates to 'Rather than [Option A], it is better to [Option B]'. For example: '與其喺度等，不如我哋行去啦' (jyu5 kei4 hai2 dou6 dang2, bat1 jyu4 ngo5 dei6 haang4 heoi3 laa1) - 'Rather than waiting here, it's better if we just walk there.'

4. Register and Usage:
In a casual setting, native speakers will almost always use 冇...咁 (mou5... gam3). Using 不如 for comparison at a dinner table might sound overly stiff. However, it is very common in set phrases and proverbs, such as '遠親不如近鄰' (jyun5 can1 bat1 jyu4 gan6 leon4) - 'A distant relative is not as good as a near neighbor.'

5. Distinguishing from Suggestions:
Context is key. If 不如 starts a sentence or is followed by 啦 (laa1), it is likely a suggestion ('How about...'). If it sits between two nouns, it is a comparison.

Examples (4)

  1. 論資歷，佢不如你。

    In terms of seniority, he is not as good as you.

    Word by Word: Discuss seniority, he not-as you.

    Here, 不如 (bat1 jyu4) stands alone to show that 'he' is inferior to 'you' regarding seniority (資歷 zi1 lik6).

  2. 呢間酒樓嘅點心不如嗰間。

    This restaurant's dim sum is not as good as that one's.

    Word by Word: This [CL] restaurant's dim sum not-as that [CL].

    A common way to compare the quality of food or services in a slightly more formal written style.

  3. 遠親不如近鄰。

    A distant relative is not as good as a near neighbor.

    Word by Word: Distant relative not-as near neighbor.

    This is a famous proverb using 不如 to show that proximity makes a neighbor more helpful than a relative who lives far away.

  4. 我嘅廣東話不如佢咁流利。

    My Cantonese is not as fluent as his.

    Word by Word: My Cantonese not-as him so fluent.

    When an adjective like 流利 (lau4 lei6 - fluent) is used, it follows the second subject.

Common Mistakes

  • Thinking 不如 cannot be used with 平.

    Different Meaning呢件衫不如嗰件平。
    呢件衫不如嗰件貴。

    呢件衫不如嗰件平 is grammatical but means "this shirt is not as cheap as that one", so it is the dearer one. 呢件衫不如嗰件貴 means the opposite: this one is cheaper. In speech, 冇嗰件咁平 (mou5 go2 gin6 gam3 peng4) is more common.

  • Confusing the comparison function with the suggestion function.

    不如我哋去食飯不如去睇戲。
    食飯不如睇戲。

    The first '不如' in the incorrect example is a suggestion ('How about...'), while the second is an attempt at comparison. For comparison, simply place the two items on either side of the word.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

不如Level 4A Is Not as Good as B

Learn This First

To understand '不如' (A is not as good as B), learners need to be comfortable with basic noun phrases involving demonstratives and classifiers. It is also helpful to understand the basic 'not as... as' structure (冇...咁) as '不如' serves a similar comparative function but focuses on the ranking of quality or preference.

Words in This Pattern