Definition
不比 is a negative comparative structure meaning 'not as ... as' or 'no more ... than'. It negates the comparison expressed by 比, often implying that two things are equal or that the first is not necessarily superior. The pattern is A + 不比 + B + (adjective/verb phrase). Be careful: 不比 is different from 没有 (which simply means 'not as ... as' without the nuance of 'possibly equal').
v.p.
not as ... asno more ... thannot necessarily
Examples
- 不比，。Tā bù bǐ wǒ gāo, dàn pǎo de bǐ wǒ kuài.He is not taller than me, but he runs faster than me.
- 不比，。Zhège bànfǎ bù bǐ nàge hǎo, dàn gèng shěng qián.This method is not necessarily better than that one, but it saves more money.
- 不比，。Běijīng de dōngtiān bù bǐ Hā'ěrbīn lěng, dàn yě língxià hǎo jǐ dù.Beijing's winter is not as cold as Harbin's, but it's still several degrees below zero.
Grammar
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