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wǒmen bǐ tā gèng xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.

我们wǒmen　比bǐ　她tā　更gèng　喜欢xǐhuan　看kàn　电影diànyǐng。wǒmen bǐ tā gèng xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.
We like watching movies more than she does.
FromLesson 3inHardcore Chinese
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Questions & Answers about wǒmen bǐ tā gèng xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.

What exactly does 比 do here, and what’s the basic word order?
  • 比 marks the thing you’re comparing against: A is more X than B.
  • Pattern: A + 比 + B + (更/还/更加) + predicate
  • Here: A=我们, B=她, predicate=喜欢看电影 → 我们比她更喜欢看电影。
Is 更 required? What changes if I leave it out or replace it?
  • Not required. 我们比她喜欢看电影。 is correct and means the same.
  • 更 adds emphasis (“even more”), slightly stronger than without it.
  • You can also use:
    • 还 (more colloquial): 我们比她还喜欢看电影。
    • 更加 (more formal/emphatic): 我们比她更加喜欢看电影。
Where must 比她 go? Can I put “than her” at the end like in English?
  • The 比-phrase goes right after the subject and before the predicate: 我们比她更喜欢…
  • Don’t put it at the end: ✗ 我们更喜欢看电影比她。
  • You can front it as a topic with 跟…比/比起 for style: 跟她比， 我们更喜欢看电影。 / 比起她，我们更喜欢看电影。
Why is 更 before 喜欢 and not before 看?
  • Adverbs like 更 go before the verb/adjective they modify.
  • Here 更 modifies the degree of liking (喜欢), not the act of watching (看).
  • If you want “watch more often/more,” change the predicate:
    • Preference: 我们比她更喜欢看电影。
    • Frequency/amount: 我们比她更常看电影。 / 我们看电影比她更多。
How do I say “We watch movies more often (not ‘like them more’) than she does”?

Use a frequency/quantity word, not 喜欢:

  • 我们比她更常看电影。
  • 我们看电影比她更多。
  • 我们比她更经常看电影。
What’s the difference between 喜欢看电影 and 喜欢电影?
  • 喜欢看电影 = like the activity of watching movies.
  • 喜欢电影 = like movies as a category/thing (more general). Both are natural; choose based on whether you emphasize the activity or the thing.
Should it be 她 or 她的 for “than her”? Do Chinese pronouns change for “she/her”?
  • Use 她 after 比. No 的 is needed: 比她.
  • Chinese pronouns don’t change form for case (she/her). So it’s always 她.
  • In speech, 他/她/它 are all pronounced tā; context clarifies gender.
What if I mean “them” (plural) instead of “her”?

Use the plural pronoun:

  • They (mixed/men): 他们
  • They (all female): 她们 Examples: 我们比他们更喜欢看电影。/ 我们比她们更喜欢看电影。
How do I say “We all prefer…”?

Insert 都 after the subject:

  • 我们都比她更喜欢看电影。 If it’s exactly two people in “we,” you can say 我们俩都…
How do I say “not as … as” (the opposite comparison)?

Two common ways:

  • A 没(有) B 那么/这么 + predicate: 我们没有她那么喜欢看电影。
  • A 不如 B + predicate: 我们不如她喜欢看电影。 (more literary/compact)
How do I say “much more” vs “a little more”?
  • “Much more”: add 多了/得多 after the predicate:
    • 我们比她喜欢看电影多了/得多。
  • “A little more”: you can add 一点(儿)/一些 (colloquial, less necessary with 喜欢):
    • 我们比她更喜欢看电影一点儿。 Note: For “much more,” 多了/得多 is very common and natural.
Can I drop the subject if it’s clear from context?

Yes. Chinese allows subject drop when context is clear:

  • (Context: talking about “we”) 比她更喜欢看电影。 But the full form 我们比她更喜欢看电影 is safest.
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
  • 比 bǐ (3rd tone)
  • 更 gèng (4th tone)
  • 喜欢 xǐhuan: xǐ (3rd), huan often read in a neutral tone
  • 看 kàn (4th)
  • 电影 diànyǐng: diàn (4th) + yǐng (3rd)
Is 看电影 a separable verb-object? How do I say “watch a movie” with a measure word?
  • Yes, 看(verb) + 电影(object) is a VO phrase.
  • With a specific number, use the measure word 部:
    • 看一部电影 (watch a movie)
    • 看很多部电影 (watch many movies)
Can I use 爱 instead of 喜欢?
  • 爱 = “love,” stronger than 喜欢.
  • It’s fine if you want stronger emphasis:
    • 我们比她更爱看电影。 (We love watching movies more than she does)
Can I use 和 (and) to mean “than”?

No. 和 means “and,” not “than.” Don’t say ✗ 我们和她更喜欢… for comparisons. Use 比: 我们比她更喜欢看电影。

What are some common mistakes with this pattern?
  • Putting 比… at the end: ✗ 我们更喜欢看电影比她。 → ✓ 我们比她更喜欢看电影。
  • Modifying 看 instead of 喜欢 when you mean preference: ✗ 我们更看电影喜欢。 → ✓ 我们更喜欢看电影。
  • Using 和 for “than”: ✗ 我们和她更喜欢… → ✓ 我们比她更喜欢…
  • Doubling intensifiers redundantly: Avoid 更 … 多了 together; use one:
    • ✓ 更喜欢… or ✓ 喜欢…多了 (not both).

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