so với

Compared with

Level 4

So với translates to 'compared with' or 'in comparison to'. Literally, so means 'to compare' and với means 'with', making its syntax very intuitive for English speakers. It attaches directly to a noun phrase to set a baseline for comparison, but it does not replace the comparative word itself.

How It Works

1. Structure and Placement
So với is highly flexible syntactically. It can be placed at the absolute beginning of a sentence to topicalize the baseline, often followed by the topic marker thì, or placed in the predicate. When combined with hơn, the exact word order is A + Adjective/Verb + hơn + so với + B.

  • So với B (thì) A + [Evaluation] (Compared to B, A is...)
  • A + [Evaluation] + so với B (A is... compared to B)

2. What Can Follow 'So với'
The baseline B can be a noun, pronoun, or even a verb phrase directly. You do not need to nominalize verbs to place them after so với (e.g., so với đi xe buýt is perfectly natural and grammatically correct).

3. Statistical and Business Comparisons
A highly common use case for so với is in reporting data, specifically with verbs of change like tăng (increase) and giảm (decrease). For example: Doanh thu tăng 20% so với năm ngoái (Revenue increased by 20% compared to last year).

4. The Difference Between 'So với' and 'Hơn'
A common misconception is that so với is the exact equivalent of 'than' and is mandatory for basic comparisons. In Vietnamese, hơn inherently covers both 'more' and 'than'. Adding so với is optional; it emphasizes the contrast or evaluation, especially across time periods or data points.

Examples (5)

  1. So với tiếng Anh thì tiếng Việt có nhiều thanh điệu hơn.

    Compared with English, Vietnamese has more tones.

    Word by Word: Compared with language English then language Vietnamese has many tones more.

    Placing 'so với' at the beginning of the sentence topicalizes the baseline (English). In spoken Vietnamese, it is highly natural to follow this with the topic marker 'thì' before introducing the main clause.

  2. Giá năm nay cao hơn so với năm ngoái.

    This year's prices are higher compared to last year.

    Word by Word: Price year this high more compared with year last.

    Here, 'so với' is placed in the predicate after the comparative adjective 'cao hơn'.

  3. So với năm ngoái thì mùa hè năm nay rất nóng.

    Compared to last year, this summer is very hot.

    Word by Word: Compared with year last then season summer year this very hot.

    'So với' does not strictly require a comparative marker like 'hơn'. It can also frame a baseline for an absolute evaluation using intensifiers like 'rất'.

  4. Kết quả này khác hoàn toàn so với dự kiến.

    This result is completely different compared to expectations.

    Word by Word: Result this different completely compared with expectation.

    'So với' is frequently used with words of similarity or difference, such as 'khác' (different) or 'giống' (similar).

  5. Anh ấy chạy nhanh hơn so với tôi.

    He runs faster compared to me.

    Word by Word: Brother that run fast more compared with me.

    The pattern works perfectly with verbs and adverbs ('chạy nhanh'), not just adjectives.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'so với' for a direct comparison without a comparative marker or evaluation word.

    Tôi cao so với anh ấy.
    Tôi cao hơn so với anh ấy.

    Learners often use 'so với' by itself to make a direct comparison, forgetting that it only sets the baseline. To show the direction of a difference, the main clause still requires a comparative word like hơn (more) or 'kém' (less), unless you are using an absolute intensifier (like 'rất') or a word of difference (like 'khác').

  • Using the wrong word order when combining 'so với' and 'hơn'.

    Tôi cao so với anh ấy hơn.
    Tôi cao hơn so với anh ấy.

    When combining 'so với' and 'hơn', the comparative marker hơn must come immediately after the adjective or verb, followed by 'so với' and the baseline. The correct order is always A + Adjective/Verb + hơn + so với + B.

  • Placing 'so với' in the middle of the comparative phrase.

    Tiếng Việt so với nhiều thanh điệu hơn tiếng Anh.
    So với tiếng Anh thì tiếng Việt có nhiều thanh điệu hơn.

    'So với' must attach directly to the noun, pronoun, or verb phrase that serves as the standard of comparison. It cannot interrupt the main clause's subject and predicate.

How It Connects

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

so vớiLevel 4Compared with

Learn This First

To understand 'so với' (compared with), a learner first needs to know how to form basic comparisons using 'hơn'. Since 'so với' literally translates to 'compare with', familiarity with the preposition 'với' is also necessary to understand the literal and functional structure of the phrase.

Words in This Pattern

so