Comparison: negu / nei / už

Than: Negu, Nei and Už

Level 3

There are three ways to say than. Negu and nei keep the same case on both sides, and už takes the accusative: vyresnis negu Petras = vyresnis už Petrą.

How It Works

Negu and nei

Negu and nei mean the same thing. After them, the compared thing takes the same case as its partner in the sentence. Most often that partner is the subject, so both are in the nominative:

  • Jonas vyresnis negu Petras. (Jonas is older than Petras.)
  • Ji aukštesnė nei aš. (She is taller than me.)

When the comparison is about another part of the sentence, that case is copied: Tėvams rašau dažniau negu broliui. (I write to my parents more often than to my brother.)

Už + accusative

Už is short and very common. It is followed by the accusative: Jonas vyresnis už Petrą. Ji aukštesnė už mane. See Personal Pronoun Case Forms for mane, tave, jį, ją.

When only negu or nei will do

The examples below compare adverbial expressions. Use negu or nei:

  • Šiandien šilčiau negu vakar. (It is warmer today than yesterday.)
  • Traukiniu važiuoti greičiau nei autobusu. (Going by train is faster than by bus.)
  • Geriau vėliau negu niekada. (Better late than never.)

See Comparative Adjectives for the comparative itself. The word nei also means nor in Neither ... Nor ....

Examples (6)

  1. Jonas vyresnis negu Petras.

    Jonas is older than Petras.

    Word by Word: Jonas older than Petras.

    After negu, Petras stays in the nominative, like Jonas.

  2. Jonas vyresnis už Petrą.

    Jonas is older than Petras.

    Word by Word: Jonas older than Petras.

    After už, Petras goes into the accusative: Petrą.

  3. Mano brolis aukštesnis už mane.

    My brother is taller than me.

    Word by Word: My brother taller than me.

    The pronoun after už is accusative: mane.

  4. Kaunas mažesnis nei Vilnius.

    Kaunas is smaller than Vilnius.

    Word by Word: Kaunas smaller than Vilnius.

    nei works exactly like negu.

  5. Šiandien šilčiau negu vakar.

    It is warmer today than yesterday.

    Word by Word: Today warmer than yesterday.

    Use negu or nei to compare today with yesterday in this pattern.

  6. Man labiau patinka arbata nei kava.

    I like tea more than coffee.

    Word by Word: To-me more pleases tea than coffee.

    With patinka, the thing liked is nominative, so kava is nominative too.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the accusative after negu.

    Jis vyresnis negu mane.
    Jis vyresnis negu aš.

    After negu or nei, the pronoun copies the case of the subject, so it is aš. With už you would say už mane.

  • Using the nominative after už.

    Jis vyresnis už aš.
    Jis vyresnis už mane.

    In comparisons, už takes the accusative: mane, tave, jį, ją.

How It Connects

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

Comparison: negu / nei / užLevel 3Than: Negu, Nei and Už

Learn This First

A comparison names a second term with negu, nei or už and the appropriate case.

Words in This Pattern

negu