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A2 Intermediate Comparisons

更 (gèng): How to Say “Even More…”

更 (gèng) means “even more…” — 更 + adjective (这个更好 = “this one's even better”). Not just “-er”: 更 adds “even more” on top of an already-high degree. It teams up with 比 (A 比 B 更 Adj).

Why this trips learners up

To say something is “even more” some way — even more expensive, even more impressive — Chinese puts 更 (gèng) right before the adjective: 这个更好 (“this one's even better”), 今天更冷 (“today's even colder”). The “even” is the whole point: 更 adds to a degree that's already high — “the first one's good, but this one's even better.”

Two things to keep straight. First, 更 is not a plain “-er” and not a comparison word like 比 — you can't say A 更 B for “A is more than B”. To actually compare two things you need 比, and 更 just rides along to add “even more”: A 比 B 更 Adj — 北京比上海更贵 (“Beijing is even more expensive than Shanghai”). Second, don't confuse 更 (“even more”, between two) with 最 (“the most”, the very top): 这个更好 (“even better”) vs 这个最好 (“the best of all”).

The structure

Subject 更 gèng Adjective
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 Place Function word Adjective Connector Measure word 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.

jīntiān 今天 Subject gèng 更 Pattern lěng 冷 Adjective

Today is even colder.

zhège bànfǎ 这个办法 Subject gèng 更 Pattern hǎo 好 Adjective

This method is even better.

wǒ 我 Subject xiǎng 想 Function word mǎi 买 Verb yí gè 一个 Measure word gèng 更 Pattern dà 大 Adjective de 的 Function word bāo 包 Object

I want to buy an even bigger bag.

zhè liǎng jiàn yīfu 这两件衣服 Subject nǎ jiàn 哪件 Question gèng 更 Pattern héshì 合适 Adjective

Of these two outfits, which is more suitable?

xué 学 Verb le 了 Function word yì nián 一年 Time yǐhòu 以后 Time tā de Zhōngwén 他的中文 Subject gèng 更 Pattern hǎo 好 Adjective le 了 Function word

After a year of study, his Chinese got even better.

zuò 坐 Verb gāotiě 高铁 Object bǐ 比 Connector kāichē 开车 Verb gèng 更 Pattern kuài 快 Adjective

Taking the high-speed train is even faster than driving.

jīnnián xiàtiān 今年夏天 Subject bǐ 比 Connector qùnián 去年 Object gèng 更 Pattern rè 热 Adjective

This summer is even hotter than last year.

wǎngshàng 网上 Place mǎi 买 Verb dōngxi 东西 Object bǐ 比 Connector zài 在 Verb shāngdiàn 商店 Place mǎi 买 Verb gèng 更 Pattern fāngbiàn 方便 Adjective

Buying things online is even more convenient than buying in a store.

Common mistakes

Avoid: 北京更大上海。 Běijīng gèng dà Shànghǎi.
Say this: 北京比上海更大。 Běijīng bǐ Shànghǎi gèng dà.

Why it happens: 更 isn't a comparison word — you can't put it between the two things the way 比 goes. “Beijing is bigger than Shanghai” needs 比: 北京比上海大 (or, with “even”, 北京比上海更大). 北京更大上海 doesn't work — 更 only adds “even more” to the adjective, it doesn't do the comparing.

Avoid: 这个很更好。 zhège hěn gèng hǎo.
Say this: 这个更好。 zhège gèng hǎo.

Why it happens: 更 already means “even more”, so it doesn't stack with 很 (“very”). Pick one: 很好 (“very good”) or 更好 (“even better”), never 很更好. (Same with 太 — 更 carries its own intensity.)

Avoid: 这三个里面，这个更贵。 zhè sān gè lǐmiàn, zhège gèng guì.
Say this: 这三个里面，这个最贵。 zhè sān gè lǐmiàn, zhège zuì guì.

Why it happens: 更 compares — “even more than something else”. For “the most” of a whole group, you switch to 最: of three options, the priciest is 这个最贵 (“the most expensive”), not 这个更贵 (“even more expensive”, which only measures against one other).

Compare & contrast

更 — even more (comparing two)最 — the most (the top)The difference
这个更好。zhège gèng hǎo.这个最好。zhège zuì hǎo.这个更好 = “this one's even better” — a step up from another. 这个最好 = “this one's the best” — nothing beats it.
今天更冷。jīntiān gèng lěng.今天最冷。jīntiān zuì lěng.今天更冷 = “today's even colder” (than, say, yesterday). 今天最冷 = “today's the coldest” (of them all).
Rule of thumb更 means “even more [adj]” — a notch above something already high, comparing one thing to another (更好 = “even better”). 最 means “the most [adj]” — the very top, nothing above it (最好 = “the best”). One more than another? 更. The best of all? 最.

Try it yourself

Say “I'm even taller than you” (比…更…) — tap the words into order.

Related patterns

比比 (bǐ): How to Say “…-er Than…” (Comparisons)

更 upgrades a 比 comparison: A 比 B 更 Adj = “A is even more [adj] than B” (小李比小张更高).

 一样一样 (yīyàng): How to Say “The Same As” / “As … As”

Two comparison words: 一样 says they're equal, 更 says one is even more.

 有点有点 (yǒudiǎn): How to Say “A Bit Too…” (a Complaint)

Both sit before an adjective — 有点 dials it down (“a bit too”), 更 turns it up (“even more”).

 差不多差不多 (chàbuduō): “More or Less” and “About”

差不多 says “about the same”; 更 says “even more” — opposite ends of the comparison.

 我吃饭How to Build a Basic Chinese Sentence

更 just slots before the adjective in a basic noun-adjective sentence.

 真真 (zhēn): How to Say “Really” / “So…!”

更 says “even more”; 真 says “so / really!” — turning the adjective up, with feeling.

 的的 (de): How to Describe Nouns with Adjectives

更 often sits inside an adjective-的-noun phrase: 更大的包 (“an even bigger bag”).

 好极了How to Say “Extremely” with 极了 (jíle)

更 raises an adjective one notch (“even more”); 极了 takes it all the way to the top (“extremely”) — and sits after, not before.

 这么 / 那么How to Say “So” with 这么 and 那么 (zhème / nàme)

更 raises an adjective against something else (更贵, “even more expensive”); 这么 / 那么 just mark a high degree on its own (这么贵, “so expensive”).

 比较How to Say “Rather” with 比较 (bǐjiào)

Both look sideways at a comparison: 比较 says something is “relatively” so (比较高), while 更 says it's “even more” so than another (更高). One is measured, the other a step up.

 之一How to Say “One of” with 之一 (zhīyī)

Beyond 更 (“even more”) is 最 (“the most”), and 之一 tags that superlative down to “one of the most”: 最好的电影之一.

 越来越How to Say “More and More” in Chinese (越来越)

越来越 is the“more and more” cousin of 更: 更 steps the degree up once against something else (今天更冷), while 越来越 raises it steadily over time (越来越冷了). Two shades of “more.”

 跟……比How to Say “Compared With” in Chinese (跟……比)

更 is what usually fills the comment after the frame: 跟……比起来 sets the scene, then 更 says B is “even more” so (跟他比起来，我更高). The comparison opener plus the degree word.

 有点 / 一点有点 vs 一点: The Two Ways to Say “A Bit” in Chinese

Two ways to nudge a comparison. 更 goes BEFORE the adjective for “even more” (更贵); 一点 goes AFTER for “a bit more” (贵一点). The 有点-vs-一点 page covers that post-adjective 一点 and keeps it apart from the complaint word 有点.

 甚至How to Say “Even” with 甚至 (shènzhì)

Two ways to go further. 更 raises the degree of one quality (更冷, “even colder”), a comparison; 甚至 jumps to a more extreme case or a whole clause (甚至连河水都结冰了). 更 turns the dial; 甚至 adds a surprising new item.
Quick reference card
Merry Mandarin 更 (gèng): How to Say “Even More…” grammar.merrymandarin.com

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

Structure
Subject + 更 + Adjective
Example
今天更冷
Today is even colder.
Watch out
✗ 北京更大上海。  →  ✓ 北京比上海更大。