Buku ini lebih menarik berbanding buku lama.

This book is more interesting compared to the old book.

Breakdown of Buku ini lebih menarik berbanding buku lama.

• ini: this
• adalah: to be
• buku: the book
• lebih: more
• menarik: interesting
• lama: old
• berbanding: compared to

Questions & Answers about Buku ini lebih menarik berbanding buku lama.

What does lebih mean and how is it used in this sentence?

Lebih means “more.” In this sentence it’s a comparative marker that comes before the adjective menarik to indicate “more interesting.”

Why is ini placed after buku instead of before it?

In Malay the demonstratives ini (“this”) and itu (“that”) follow the noun they modify. So you say buku ini (“this book”) rather than ini buku.

What is the role of berbanding here?

Berbanding means “compared to” or “in comparison with.” It links the two nouns (buku ini and buku lama) to show you’re comparing their levels of interestingness.

Can I use daripada instead of berbanding?

Yes. Daripada is a very common preposition for “than” in comparisons. You can say buku ini lebih menarik daripada buku lama with exactly the same meaning.

What about dibandingkan dengan—can I use that?

Absolutely. Dibandingkan dengan is the passive form, literally “when compared with.” For example:
Buku ini lebih menarik bila dibandingkan dengan buku lama.
This is slightly more formal.

Does buku lama mean “the old book” or “the previous book”?

Literally it means “old book” (one that’s aged or worn). If you want “the previous book,” you’d say buku sebelum ini (“the book before this one”).

Why isn’t yang used before lebih menarik?

In simple comparative clauses yang is optional. You could say buku ini yang lebih menarik berbanding buku lama for emphasis, but most speakers drop yang.

How would I say “This book is as interesting as that book” in Malay?

Use sama … dengan for equality:
Buku ini sama menarik dengan buku itu.