「方」Compare things
「方」Compare things
Compare things
方 can be used to compare things in Japanese. When it is pronounced as ほう, it signifies direction or orientation. When used in this manner, it can convey that one way is better, worse, etc., than another. This often takes the form A方がB, and can be interpreted as the way of A is comparatively B.
1
When comparing a noun with 方, you must add の to the noun.
このレストランの方が安い。
This restaurant is cheaper.
2
When forming negative statements, e.g. to say that not doing something is good, the verb needs to be in its plain negative form.
夜更かししない方がいい。
It's better not to stay up late.
3
な-adjectives attach directly to 方 as they would with any other noun.
部屋は、きれいなほうが好き。
I prefer rooms that are cleaner. / I like cleaner rooms better.
4
When forming comparisons with verbs, they are often in past form. Using this forms adds confidence as compared to the dictionary form.
朝ごはんを食べた方が集中できる。
It's better to eat breakfast — you can concentrate better.
Formation
食べるほう・食べたほう・食べないほう
高いほう・高かったほう
静かなほう・静かじゃないほう
学生のほう・学生じゃないほう
General Structure
学校の方が静か