Discussion of 不如 [bù rú] be not as good as

Discussion of 不如

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How to use 不如 to express comparison?
When we say A不如B, we mean that A is not as good as B. There are two basic patterns:
1. A 不如 B.
Example: 远亲不如近邻 [phr] A far-off relative is not as helpful as a near neighbor
2. A 不如 B 这么／那么 predicate (adj./v.)
Example: 我不如她漂亮。 [phr] I am not as pretty as her.
Please note that this negative form “ A 不如 B..”. has no affirmative form in Chinese. We never say “A 如 B…”.

lisaC

When expressing comparison, what is the difference between 不如 and 没有. There two basic patterns of 不如 as mentioned in my previous post:
1. A 不如 B。
2. A 不如 B 这么／那么 predicate (adj./v.) 。
In number 1 we cannot replace 不如 with 没有. In other words, 没有 doesn't have the meaning “A is not so good as B”, and it cannot be used as a predicate like 不如 in number 1.
In number 2, we can replace 不如 with 没有.

lisaC

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