نسبت به nesbat be introduces a relation or orientation toward something and often supplies a comparison standard. در مقایسه با dar moqâyese bâ explicitly means “in comparison with.” The first is semantically wider; the second tells the reader that an analytical comparison is being made.
Use نسبت به for attitudes, duties, sensitivity, and compact “compared with” statements. Use در مقایسه با when two periods, groups, measurements, or alternatives are deliberately set side by side.
Core uses
| Form | Function | Typical English | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| نسبت به شخص | attitude/orientation | toward someone | neutral/formal |
| نسبت به گذشته | compact standard | compared with the past | neutral |
| در مقایسه با سال قبل | explicit analytical comparison | in comparison with last year | formal/academic |
او نسبت به همکاران تازهکار صبور است.
u nesbat be hamkârân-e tâze-kâr sabur ast.
He or she is patient toward new colleagues. (formal-neutral attitude)
این نسخه نسبت به نسخهی قبلی سریعتر است.
in noskhe nesbat be noskhe-ye qabli sari'-tar ast.
This version is faster than the previous version. (neutral comparison)
در مقایسه با سال گذشته، مصرف آب کاهش یافته است.
dar moqâyese bâ sâl-e gozashte, masraf-e âb kâhesh yâfte ast.
Compared with last year, water consumption has decreased. (formal/analytical)
Relation and attitude with نسبت به
نسبت به need not compare degrees. It can identify the target of an emotion, policy, responsibility, or reaction. Frequent collocations include احترام نسبت به, بیاعتماد بودن نسبت به, حساس بودن نسبت به, and مسئول بودن نسبت به.
مردم نسبت به تغییر ناگهانی برنامه نگراناند.
mardom nesbat be taghyir-e nâgahâni-ye barnâme negarân-and.
People are worried about the sudden schedule change. (formal-neutral)
این دارو نسبت به نور حساس است.
in dâru nesbat be nur hassâs ast.
This medication is sensitive to light. (technical/formal)
The expression does not literally mean English “in relation to” in every translation. Natural English may use toward, about, to, with respect to, or a comparative phrase.
Compact comparison with نسبت به
With a comparative adjective or measurable change, نسبت به X sets X as the baseline. It overlaps with ordinary comparative از, but نسبت به often sounds more analytical and works well with periods or previous states.
امروز نسبت به دیروز هوا خنکتر است.
emruz nesbat be diruz havâ khonak-tar ast.
The weather is cooler today than yesterday. (neutral standard)
کیفیت صدا نسبت به قبل بهتر شده است.
keyfiyyat-e sedâ nesbat be qabl behtar shode ast.
The sound quality has improved compared with before. (formal-neutral)
See the basic comparative page for ـتر and simple از standards.
Explicit analysis with در مقایسه با
This longer expression announces a deliberate comparison. مقایسه ends in silent ه, but its complement is introduced by با, so there is no مقایسهی before that complement. Ezâfe may appear inside the following noun phrase.
در مقایسه با روش قدیمی، این فرایند زمان کمتری میبرد.
dar moqâyese bâ ravesh-e qadimi, in farâyand zamân-e kamtari mi-barad.
Compared with the old method, this process takes less time. (academic)
در مقایسه با گروه کنترل، تفاوت معناداری دیده نشد.
dar moqâyese bâ goruh-e kontrol, tafâvot-e ma'nâdâr-i dide nashod.
No significant difference was observed compared with the control group. (academic)
It is heavier than نسبت به, so conversation often chooses the shorter form unless the act of comparison itself is important.
A short exchange
مدل جدید از هر نظر بهتر است؟
model-e jadid az har nazar behtar ast?
Is the new model better in every respect? (careful spoken standard)
نسبت به قبلی سبکتر است، ولی در مقایسه با رقیبش باتری ضعیفتری دارد.
nesbat be qabli sabok-tar ast, vali dar moqâyese bâ raqib-ash bâtri-ye za'if-tari dârad.
It's lighter than the previous one, but compared with its competitor it has a weaker battery. (formal-neutral)
Common Mistakes
1. Adding ezâfe before به
❌ نسبت به سال قبل فروش بیشتر شد.
nesbat-e be sâl-e qabl forush bishtar shod
Incorrect reading — the fixed sequence is نسبت به without ezâfe.
✅ نسبت به پارسال فروش بیشتر شد.
nesbat be pârsâl forush bishtar shod.
Sales increased compared with last year.
2. Dropping با from the analytical phrase
❌ در مقایسه سال قبل هزینه کمتر شد.
as ‘compared with last year’
Incorrect for the intended comparison — در مقایسه selects its standard with با.
✅ در مقایسه با سال قبل هزینه کمتر شد.
dar moqâyese bâ sâl-e qabl hazine kamtar shod.
The cost decreased compared with last year.
3. Adding را to the comparison standard
❌ نسبت به دیروز را هوا گرمتر است.
Incorrect — دیروز is inside a prepositional standard, not a direct object.
✅ نسبت به دیروز هوا گرمتر است.
nesbat be diruz havâ garm-tar ast.
The weather is warmer than yesterday.
4. Using مقایسهی before a با complement
❌ در مقایسهی با این روش نتیجه بهتر بود.
Incorrect — با directly introduces the comparison standard.
✅ در مقایسه با این روش نتیجه بهتر بود.
dar moqâyese bâ in ravesh natije behtar bud.
The result was better compared with this method.
Key Takeaways
- نسبت به covers attitudes, relations, sensitivity, and compact comparison.
- در مقایسه با explicitly frames analytical comparison.
- Comparative نسبت به supplies a baseline; noncomparative نسبت به supplies a relational target.
- Keep fixed نسبت به and مقایسه با intact, without added را.
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