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A2 Intermediate Comparisons

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

To say two things are the same, Chinese links them with 跟 or 和 and ends with 一样: A 跟/和 B 一样 (我和你一样 = “I'm the same as you”). Add an adjective after 一样 for “as … as” (一样高 = “as tall”).

Why this trips learners up

When two things match — same size, same idea, equally tall — Chinese has one neat frame for it: A 跟/和 B 一样. Link the two nouns with 跟 (gēn) or 和 (hé) — interchangeable here — and close with 一样 (yīyàng), “the same”: 我和你一样 (“I'm the same as you”), 这个跟那个一样 (“this one's the same as that one”). For “as … as”, just hang the adjective on the end: A 跟/和 B 一样 + Adj — 你家跟我家一样大 (“your place is as big as mine”).

The order is what trips up English speakers. You'd frame it around the adjective — “as big as” — but Chinese puts the thing you're comparing to first (right after 跟/和) and 一样 + the adjective last: 跟我家 (the standard) … 一样大 (一样 + adj). Two more notes: the negative “different” is 不一样 (中文和英文不一样), and you can intensify that (很不一样, “very different”) — but you don't say 很一样 for the plain “same”; for emphasis use 完全一样 (“exactly the same”).

The structure

Subject 跟 / 和 gēn / hé Object 一样 yīyàng 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 Object Negation Adverb Adjective Connector 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.

wǒ de shǒujī 我的手机 Subject hé 和 Connector nǐ de 你的 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern

My phone is the same as yours.

zhè běn shū 这本书 Subject gēn 跟 Connector nà běn shū 那本书 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern hòu 厚 Adjective

This book is as thick as that one.

dìdi 弟弟 Subject hé 和 Connector bàba 爸爸 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern gāo 高 Adjective

Little brother is as tall as Dad.

Zhōngwén 中文 Subject hé 和 Connector Yīngwén 英文 Object hěn 很 Adverb bù 不 Negation yīyàng 一样 Pattern

Chinese and English are very different.

nǐ de xiǎngfǎ 你的想法 Subject gēn 跟 Connector wǒ de 我的 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern ma 吗 Question

Is your idea the same as mine?

jīntiān 今天 Subject hé 和 Connector zuótiān 昨天 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern lěng 冷 Adjective ma 吗 Question

Is today as cold as yesterday?

mèimei de fángjiān 妹妹的房间 Subject gēn 跟 Connector wǒ de 我的 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern gānjìng 干净 Adjective

My sister's room is as clean as mine.

zhè jiā cāntīng de cài 这家餐厅的菜 Subject gēn 跟 Connector wǒ māma zuò de 我妈妈做的 Object yīyàng 一样 Pattern hǎochī 好吃 Adjective

This restaurant's food is as good as my mom's cooking.

Common mistakes

Avoid: 我一样跟你。 wǒ yīyàng gēn nǐ.
Say this: 我跟你一样。 wǒ gēn nǐ yīyàng.

Why it happens: 一样 closes the comparison — it comes at the END, after both nouns, not up front. “I'm the same as you” is 我跟你一样 (I — with you — the same), never 我一样跟你. Put the two things first, then 一样.

Avoid: 他跟我高一样。 tā gēn wǒ gāo yīyàng.
Say this: 他跟我一样高。 tā gēn wǒ yīyàng gāo.

Why it happens: The adjective goes AFTER 一样, not before: “as tall as” is 一样高, never 高一样. The frame is A 跟/和 B 一样 + Adjective, with the adjective last of all.

Avoid: 他跟我很一样。 tā gēn wǒ hěn yīyàng.
Say this: 他跟我完全一样。 tā gēn wǒ wánquán yīyàng.

Why it happens: 一样 (“the same”) isn't gradable in the affirmative — there's no 很一样 the way there's a 很高 (“very tall”). To stress that two things really are identical, use 完全一样 (“exactly the same”). (The negative IS fine to grade, though: 很不一样 = “very different”.)

Compare & contrast

一样 — exactly the same差不多 — more or less the sameThe difference
我们一样高。wǒmen yīyàng gāo.我们差不多高。wǒmen chàbuduō gāo.我们一样高 = “we're the same height” — identical, no gap. 我们差不多高 = “we're about the same height” — close, with a small difference.
这两个一样。zhè liǎng gè yīyàng.这两个差不多。zhè liǎng gè chàbuduō.这两个一样 = “these two are identical”. 这两个差不多 = “these two are roughly the same” — near enough.
Rule of thumb一样 means identical — no difference at all (我们一样高 = exactly the same height). 差不多 means “about the same” — close enough, a small gap that doesn't matter. Truly equal? 一样. Roughly equal? 差不多.

Try it yourself

Say “He's as tall as me” (一样 + adjective) — tap the words into order.

Related patterns

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

The flip side of 一样: 比 is for when they DIFFER (我比他高), 一样 for when they match. Never mix them (no 比…一样).

 没有没有 (méiyǒu): How to Say “Not as … as …”

The full comparison set: 比 (more than), 没有 (not as…as), 跟…一样 (the same as).

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

一样 is exactly the same; 差不多 is “more or less the same” — the close-enough version.

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

Another degree word for adjectives: 有点 says “a bit too [adj]”, 一样 says “exactly as [adj]”.

 更更 (gèng): How to Say “Even More…”

一样 says two things match; 更 says one is even more — equal vs ahead.

 和How to Say “And” with 和 (hé)

The 和 (or 跟) that links the two compared things is the same 和 you use for “and”.

 的How to Show Possession with 的 (de)

Comparisons lean on 的 — 你的 vs 我的 (你的手机跟我的一样) — to say “yours” and “mine”.

 我吃饭How to Build a Basic Chinese Sentence

A 跟/和 B 一样 is its own little frame — the standard goes before 一样, the adjective after.

 离离 (lí): How to Say “Far From” and Talk About Distance

Same coverb shape: A 跟 B 一样 lines up two things; A 离 B 远 measures the distance between two places.

 跟跟 (gēn): How to Say “With” (Doing Things Together)

The 跟 in A 跟 B 一样 is this very “with” coverb — the comparison frame is built on it.

 互相How to Say “Each Other” with 互相 (hùxiāng)

Both involve two parties: 一样 says they’re the same; 互相 says they act on each other.

 之类的How to Say “Stuff Like That” with 之类的 (zhī lèi de)

Same 像, two jobs: 像…一样 draws a full comparison (像他一样高, “as tall as him”), while 像…之类的 introduces an example of a category (像KFC之类的快餐店).

 看起来How to Say “Looks” and “Looks Like” with 看起来 (kànqǐlái)

Both touch on resemblance: 看起来像 says one thing looks like another (看起来像情侣), while 跟…一样 says they're actually the same (跟他一样高). Looks-like versus is-the-same.

 好像How to Say “It Seems” with 好像 (hǎoxiàng)

Don't confuse the resemblance 像 with 好像 (“it seems”): 他像他爸爸 / 跟他爸爸一样 states an actual likeness, while 他好像生病了 is just a guess about his state.

 倍How to Say “Times as Many” in Chinese (倍)

一样 says two things are equal (1×); 倍 says one is a multiple of the other (2×, 3× and up). Equality next to multiples in the same comparison family.

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

Two 跟 comparison frames: 跟……一样 says two things are the SAME (跟他一样高), while 跟……比起来 sets up a DIFFERENCE to comment on. Equality next to contrast, both built on 跟.

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

跟……一样 STATES “as … as” (我跟他一样高); 有 only ASKS it (你有他高吗？, “are you as tall as him?”), and it is almost always a question. Statement versus question, both about equal degree.

 差很多How to Say “Very Different” with 差很多 (chà hěn duō)

The far end of the scale. 一样 says two things are the same (这两个一样); 差很多 says they're very different, worlds apart. A跟B一样 versus A跟B差很多, with 差不多 (“about the same”) sitting in between.
Quick reference card
Merry Mandarin 一样 (yīyàng): How to Say “The Same As” / “As … As” grammar.merrymandarin.com

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

Structure
Subject + 跟 / 和 + Object + 一样 + Adjective
Example
我的手机和你的一样
My phone is the same as yours.
Watch out
✗ 我一样跟你。  →  ✓ 我跟你一样。