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kuruma yori tikatetu no hou ga zutto hayai desu.

車くるま　より　地下鉄ちかてつ　の　ほう　が　ずっと　速はやい　です。kuruma yori tikatetu no hou ga zutto hayai desu.
The subway is much faster than a car.
FromLesson 26inHardcore Japanese
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Questions & Answers about kuruma yori tikatetu no hou ga zutto hayai desu.

What does より mean, and where does it go?

It’s a postposition meaning “than/compared to.” It attaches to the thing you’re comparing against. In the sentence, 車より means “than cars.” Common patterns:

  • B は A より 形容詞 (B is adjective-er than A)
  • A より B のほうが 形容詞 (Compared to A, the B one is adjective-er)
What does のほう mean? Why is there a の after 地下鉄?
方(ほう) literally means “side/option.” X のほう means “the X side/the X one.” In comparisons it picks out the option that has more of the quality: 地下鉄のほう = “the subway one.”
Do I have to use のほうが? Can I just say 地下鉄が車より速いです?

You don’t have to use it. Both are fine:

  • 地下鉄は車より速いです (very common)
  • 車より地下鉄が速いです (grammatical but a bit abrupt)
  • 車より地下鉄のほうが速いです adds clarity that you’re choosing the subway option.
Why is が used after のほう? Could I use は instead?

Yes. が marks the subject and fits answers to “Which is faster?”:

  • 地下鉄のほうが速いです。 は topicalizes and invites contrast:
  • 地下鉄のほうは速いですが、料金は高いです。 Both are correct; choose based on nuance.
What does ずっと add? Can I omit it?
ずっと intensifies: “by far/much.” Without it: “The subway is faster.” With it: “The subway is much faster.” You can omit it if you don’t need emphasis.
What’s the difference between ずっと and もっと?

Both can modify adjectives in comparisons: A は B より ずっと/もっと 速い.

  • ずっと = “by far,” a neutral, strong intensifier.
  • もっと = “even more,” often used when urging an increase or emphasizing “more than that.” For simple factual comparisons, ずっと is very natural; もっと also works.
Where should ずっと go in the sentence?

Right before the adjective: ずっと速い. You can place it on either side of the より-phrase:

  • 車より地下鉄のほうがずっと速いです。
  • 地下鉄のほうが車よりずっと速いです。
Which hayai is correct here: 速い or 早い?
Use 速い for speed (fast). Use 早い for time (early). A fast train = 速い電車; getting up early = 早く起きる. For this sentence, 速い is best.
How do I pronounce the sentence?

Romaji: kuruma yori chikatetsu no hou ga zutto hayai desu. Notes: ほう has a long vowel (hoo). ずっと has a doubled t sound. The “u” in です is often devoiced, so it sounds like “des.”

Why are there spaces between the words here?
They’re for learners. Normal Japanese is written without spaces: 車より地下鉄のほうがずっと速いです。
Can I change the order and start with the subway?

Yes:

  • 地下鉄は車よりずっと速いです。
  • 地下鉄のほうが車よりずっと速いです。 Same meaning; different focus/emphasis.
How do I say “not as fast as”?

Use ほど with a negative:

  • 車は地下鉄ほど速くありません。 (Cars are not as fast as the subway.) Plain negative: 速くない.
How do I compare actions, like going by car vs. subway?

Put verb phrases before より/のほう:

  • 車で行くより地下鉄で行くほうがずっと速いです。 (Going by subway is much faster than going by car.)
Why is です used after an i-adjective? Is 速いだ okay?
い-adjectives don’t need だ. 速い is a complete predicate. 速いです just makes it polite. Never say 速いだ.
Does 車 here mean “a car” or “cars in general”?
Japanese nouns don’t mark singular/plural. 車より can mean “than a car,” “than cars (in general),” or even “than going by car,” depending on context.
How would I ask “Which is faster, the car or the subway?”
車と地下鉄とでは、どちらのほうが速いですか。 Answer with: 地下鉄のほうが速いです。
Is 地下鉄の方 the same as 地下鉄のほう? Which should I write?
Yes, same word. 方 is the kanji; ほう is the kana. Both are common; no meaning difference. It’s always read ほう here (not かた).
Can I say 車よりは地下鉄のほうが…?
Yes. よりは adds a contrastive, slightly hedging nuance: “at least compared with cars, the subway is…”. It’s useful when softening claims or contrasting with something just mentioned.

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