zhèyàng zuò gèng hǎo.

Doing it this way is better.

Breakdown of zhèyàng zuò gèng hǎo.

• 好hǎo: good
• 做zuò: to do
• 更gèng: even more
• 这样zhèyàng: like this

Questions & Answers about zhèyàng zuò gèng hǎo.

Is the sentence missing a subject? Who is “doing” the action?

It’s not missing anything. 这样做 (“doing it this way”) functions as the subject, and 更好 (“is better”) is the predicate. So the structure is: [这样做] [更好] → “Doing it this way is better.” You can make the subject explicit if you want:

• 我们这样做更好。 “It’s better if we do it this way.”
• 你这样做更好。 “It’s better if you do it this way.”

Can I say 做这样更好?

Generally no. The normal pattern for “do it this way” is 这样做/这么做. 做这样 by itself is odd; if you use 这样 after 做, you typically need a noun: 做这样的题/菜/决定 (“do this kind of problem/dish/decision”). For manner (“in this way”), put 这样/这么 before the verb: 这样做更好。

What’s the difference between 这样, 这么, and 那样/那么?

• 这样: “like this/this way,” neutral and common.
• 这么: very colloquial; with verbs it overlaps 这样 (e.g., 这么做 = 这样做). With adjectives it often means “so/this (degree)” (e.g., 这么好 = “so good”).
• 那样/那么: “like that/that (degree).”

Notes:

• 这样做更好 / 这么做更好 are both natural.
• 这么好 means “so good,” while 这样好 often means “it’s good if we do it like this” (proposal/acceptance), not “so good.”

Where is the “than” in the sentence? Does 更 require 比?

更 marks a higher degree relative to some reference, which can be implicit from context. You don’t need 比. If you want to be explicit:

• 这样做比那样好。 “Doing it this way is better than doing it that way.” You can also say A比B更好 (with 更 for extra emphasis) or simply A比B好.

Can I omit 更? What changes?

Yes. 这样做好。 means “Doing it this way is good” (a simple evaluation), not necessarily “better than something else.”
To soften a suggestion without a strict comparative, 比较好 is very common: 这样做比较好。 (“This way is relatively better / preferable.”)

Is 这样做 acting as an adverbial or as the subject?

In this sentence it’s most natural to view 这样做 as the subject (“Doing it this way”). If you add an explicit subject, 这样 becomes an adverbial modifier of the verb:

• 你这样做更好。 “It’s better if you do it this way.”

How is 更 pronounced here? Any tone-sandhi issues in the whole sentence?

Pronunciation: zhè yàng zuò gèng hǎo (4–4–4–4–3).

• 更 is pronounced gèng (fourth tone) when it means “more/even more.”
• There’s no special sandhi among the four fourth tones here; 好 is third tone and, at sentence end, stays as a (often half) third tone.

I’ve seen gēng for 更. Is that ever used here?

No. The comparative adverb “more/even more” is always gèng (4). gēng (1) is a different word/meaning (“to change; watch [of the night]”), as in 更换 gēnghuàn, 更衣 gēngyī.

Can I say 这样子做 or 照这样做?

Yes:

• 这样子做 is acceptable (often more colloquial/regional).
• 照这样做 / 按这样做 mean “do it according to this (way).”
• More formal alternatives: 用这种方式做 / 以这种方式做.

How can I make the sentence sound like a suggestion or softer?

Try:

• 这样做更好吧。 (adding 吧 softens it)
• 这样做会更好。 (predictive/hedging)
• 我觉得这样做更好。 (opinion marker)
• 还是这样做更好。 (preferential suggestion) You can also hedge with 可能/也许: 这样做可能更好。

What’s the difference between 这样做更好 and 做得更好?

• 这样做更好 compares methods: “Doing it this way is better (than some other way).”
• 做得更好 is the degree-complement pattern, meaning “to do (it) better.” It needs a subject (and often an object):
  • 你做得更好。 “You do it better.”
  • 这样能把这件事做得更好。 “This way lets us do it better.”

Can I use 更好地 with a verb? How is that different?

Yes: 更好地 + Verb modifies how the action is carried out (“to do X better”).

• 为了更好地完成任务，我们… “In order to complete the task better, we…” Compare:
• 这样做更好。 “Doing it this way is better.” (evaluation of method)
• 更好地做这件事。 “Do this thing in a better way.” (adverbial modification)

How do I say “It’s best to do it this way”?

Use 最:

• 这样做最好。 “Doing it this way is best.” Also note 最好 + VP often works like “you’d better…”:
• 你最好这样做。 “You’d better do it this way.”

How do I say “This way is not as good (as that way)”?

Use 不如 or 没有…好:

• 这样做不如那样好。
• 这样做没有那样好。

Can I tweak the intensity or formality of 更好?

Yes:

• Intensify/hedge: 更好一点(儿) / 更好一些 (“a bit better”).
• More emphatic: 更加 (often with disyllabic adjectives): 这样做更加清楚。
• More formal: 更为: 这样做更为妥当。
• Softer/less absolute: 比较好: 这样做比较好。

Can I replace 好 with other adjectives?

Absolutely, to be more precise:

• 这样做更合适/更方便/更安全/更有效/更合理/更妥当/更可取。 Pick the adjective that matches what you mean by “better.”

Can 这样 modify nouns too? Do I ever use 地 after 这样?

• With nouns, use 这样的 + N: 这样的办法更好。 (“A method like this is better.”)
• Don’t use 这样地 before verbs; use 这样 + V (manner) or 更好地 + V to modify the verb.

What are the traditional characters?

這樣做更好。