Breakdown of umi yori yama no hou ga sizuka desu.
ですdesu
to be
山yama
mountain
海umi
sea
静かsizuka
quiet
A より B ほう が CA yori B hou ga C
B is more C than A
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Questions & Answers about umi yori yama no hou ga sizuka desu.
What does より mean here, and how does it function?
より is the “than” marker in Japanese comparisons. In 海より, it means “than the sea,” indicating that the sea is the standard you’re comparing against.
What is the role of のほうが in 山のほうが静かです?
The construction Xのほうが～ means “X is more ～.” ほう (方) literally means “side” or “direction,” so 山のほうが静かです translates to “the mountain side is quieter,” i.e. “the mountains are quieter.”
Why do we need の between 山 and ほう? Could we say 山ほうが?
No. の links 山 to ほう as a genitive/possessive: “the side of the mountains.” Without の, 山ほうが is ungrammatical because you need a particle to connect the noun to 方.
Why is が used after 山のほう instead of は or を?
In the pattern Aより Bのほうが Cです, Bのほう is treated as the subject, so it takes the subject marker が. Using は would make it a topic (which is possible but shifts the nuance), and を doesn’t work with adjectives or states like 静か.
Could we use 山は海より静かです instead? If so, what’s the difference?
Yes. 山は海より静かです (“As for the mountains, they’re quieter than the sea”) is equally correct. It uses は to mark 山 as the topic instead of the より…のほうが construction. The meaning stays the same, but のほうが often feels more explicit or neutral in spoken Japanese.
Can we omit のほう and say 海より山が静かです?
Yes, 海より山が静かです is grammatical and means “The mountains are quieter than the sea.” Dropping のほう makes the sentence more concise but a bit less emphatic about “which side” you’re comparing.
What happens if I swap them: 山より海のほうが静かです?
You can swap 山 and 海, but the comparison flips. 山より海のほうが静かです means “The sea is quieter than the mountains.”
Could we drop より and just say 山のほうが静かです?
Yes, 山のほうが静かです means “The mountains are quieter.” However, without より, you lose the explicit “than the sea” part—so it’s understood only from context and is less precise.