B1 Intermediate Comparisons

How to Say “As … As” in Chinese (有……吗)

Besides “to have,” 有 asks whether one thing reaches another’s level: A + 有 + B + Adj (+ 吗) means “Is A as [adj] as B?”, as in 你有他高吗？(“are you as tall as him?”). It is mostly a question, often a doubting one. A verb takes a 得 complement (你有他说得流利吗？), and 这么/那么 adds “really that…?” (他真的有那么厉害吗？). The negative answer flips 有 to 没有 (我没有他高); to STATE that two things are equal, use 跟…一样.

Why this trips learners up

English has one “as … as” that covers both “she is as tall as me” and “is she as tall as me?” Chinese splits them, and that split is the heart of how to say “as … as” in Chinese with 有. Beyond “to have,” 有 measures whether A reaches B’s level: A + 有 + B + Adjective (+ 吗), literally “does A have B’s [tallness],” meaning “is A as [adj] as B?” So 你有你哥哥高吗？is “are you as tall as your older brother?”

This is overwhelmingly a question pattern, and often a doubting or challenging one, the jealous “is she really as pretty as me?” energy. B is usually the benchmark the speaker has in mind. To make a plain statement that two things are equal, you don’t use 有 at all, you use 跟…一样 (我跟他一样高, “I’m as tall as him”). Use 有 to ask; use 跟…一样 to state.

Two extensions. When you’re comparing an action, the verb takes a 得 degree complement: A 有 B + Verb + 得 + Adj + 吗？, as in 你有他说得流利吗？(“do you speak as fluently as he does?”). And 有 loves 这么 / 那么, which here mean “as much / that much” and hint that B is already very [adj]: 这件事有你说的那么严重吗？(“is this really as serious as you say?”). Drop B entirely and 那么 just means “that”: 他真的有那么厉害吗？(“is he really that amazing?”).

Two mechanics keep it clean. The adjective stays bare, no 很, just like after 比: 你有他高吗？, never 你有他很高吗？. And the negative is 没有, never 不有: the “no” answer to 你有他高吗？is 我没有他高 (“I’m not as tall as you”). That 没有 statement is the everyday negative comparison, and 有 is its affirmative, questioning twin.

The structure

Subject 有 yǒu ObjectAdjective 吗 ma

Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Time Adverb Function word Adjective Question

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

nǐ 你 Subject yǒu 有 Pattern nǐ gēge 你哥哥 Object gāo 高 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Are you as tall as your older brother? (A 有 B Adj 吗?, the basic form.)

zhè bù diànyǐng 这部电影 Subject yǒu 有 Pattern dì yī bù 第一部 Object hǎokàn 好看 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Is this movie as good as the first one? (有 comparing two things.)

jīntiān 今天 Time yǒu 有 Pattern zuótiān 昨天 Time lěng 冷 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Is it as cold today as it was yesterday? (有 comparing two time periods.)

nǐ 你 Subject yǒu 有 Pattern tā 他 Object shuō 说 Verb de 得 Function word liúlì 流利 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Do you speak as fluently as he does? (A verb takes a 得 complement: 有 B 说得 Adj 吗?)

zhè jiàn shì 这件事 Subject yǒu 有 Pattern nǐ shuō de 你说的 Object nàme 那么 Adverb yánzhòng 严重 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Is this really as serious as you say? (有 + B + 那么 + Adj; skeptical, B is a claimed degree.)

zhè jiā diàn 这家店 Subject yǒu 有 Pattern nà jiā 那家 Object zuò 做 Verb de 得 Function word hǎochī 好吃 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Does this shop make it as tasty as that one? (有 B 做得 Adj 吗?, comparing an action.)

xué 学 Verb zhōngwén 中文 Object yǒu 有 Pattern dàjiā shuō de 大家说的 Object nàme 那么 Adverb nán 难 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Is learning Chinese really as hard as everyone says? (有 + 大家说的 + 那么 + Adj.)

tā 他 Subject zhēn de 真的 Adverb yǒu 有 Pattern nàme 那么 Adverb lìhai 厉害 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Is he really that amazing? (那么 with B dropped means “that much”; pure doubt.)

Common mistakes

Avoid: 我有他高。 wǒ yǒu tā gāo.

Say this: 我跟他一样高。 wǒ gēn tā yíyàng gāo.

Why it happens: The 有 comparison is for QUESTIONS (“is A as [adj] as B?”), not flat statements. To STATE that two things are equal, use 跟…一样: 我跟他一样高. A bare 我有他高 as a claim sounds off; 有’s home is the question, and its negative answer is 没有.

Avoid: 你有他很高吗？ nǐ yǒu tā hěn gāo ma?

Say this: 你有他高吗？ nǐ yǒu tā gāo ma?

Why it happens: Like 比, the 有 comparison takes a BARE adjective, no 很: 你有他高吗？, not 你有他很高吗？. The comparison itself supplies the degree, so 很 has no place here.

Avoid: 他不有我高。 tā bù yǒu wǒ gāo.

Say this: 他没有我高。 tā méiyǒu wǒ gāo.

Why it happens: To negate, 有 becomes 没有, never 不有: 他没有我高 (“he’s not as tall as me”). It is the same 有 → 没有 rule as everywhere, and it is exactly the “no” answer to 你有他高吗？.

Compare & contrast

有…吗? (the question)	没有… (the negative answer)	The difference
你有我高吗？nǐ yǒu wǒ gāo ma?	我没有你高。wǒ méiyǒu nǐ gāo.	你有我高吗？asks whether you reach my height (“are you as tall as me?”). 我没有你高 is the negative reply (“I’m not as tall as you”). Same frame, 有 flipped to 没有 for the “no.”
这个有那个贵吗？zhège yǒu nàge guì ma?	这个没有那个贵。zhège méiyǒu nàge guì.	这个有那个贵吗？asks if this is as expensive as that. 这个没有那个贵 answers “this isn’t as expensive as that.” The question uses 有; the negative statement uses 没有.

Rule of thumbUse A 有 B Adj 吗？to ASK whether A reaches B’s level (“is A as [adj] as B?”), with a bare adjective. The “no” answer flips 有 to 没有: A 没有 B Adj. To STATE that two things are equal, reach for 跟…一样 instead. Add 这么/那么 for a skeptical “really that [adj]?”.

Try it yourself

Ask “Are you as tall as him?” Use A + 有 + B + Adj + 吗: 你有他高吗？

Related patterns

Quick reference card

How to Say “As … As” in Chinese (有……吗) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure

Subject + 有 + Object + Adjective + 吗

Example

你有你哥哥高吗

Are you as tall as your older brother? (A 有 B Adj 吗?, the basic form.)

Watch out

✗ 我有他高。 → ✓ 我跟他一样高。