JLPT N1Spoken and writtenEmphatic

とは比くらべものにならないthere is no comparison with

The gap between two things is so wide that comparing them is pointless: "there is no comparison". Which side is far ahead comes from the rest of the sentence, or from what you know.

今いまの翻ほん訳やくシステムの精せい度どは、五ご年ねん前まえとは比くらべものにならないほど高たかい。

Translation systems today are so much more accurate than five years ago that there is no comparison.

今いまの忙いそがしさは、去きょ年ねんとは比くらべものにならない。

I am far busier now than I was last year: there is no comparison.

How to form it

Noun + とは比くらべものにならない

Polite なりません. Before a description it takes ほど or くらい: 比くらべものにならないくらい速はやい. Also written 比くらべ物もの.

Before it: What you measure against: 昔むかし (the old days), 十じゅう年ねん前まえの機き種しゅ (the model of ten years ago), 写しゃ真しん, 素人しろうと (an amateur).
Tone: Emphatic. It is for a gap nobody could miss.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, reviews, advertising, news features. People say it as readily as they write it.

In use

新しん幹かん線せんで行いけば、各かく駅えき停てい車しゃとは比くらべものにならないほど早はやく着つく。

If you go by bullet train, you will get there far, far sooner than on a local train.

生なまで聞きくと、録ろく音おんとは比くらべものにならないくらい迫はく力りょくがある。

Heard live, it has a force that a recording doesn't come close to.

当とう時じの医い療りょう環かん境きょうは今いまとは比くらべものにならない。利り用ようできる設せつ備びが圧あっ倒とう的てきに少すくなかった。

Medical care in those days was nothing like today's. There was far less equipment to work with.

Here the past is the side far behind. The second sentence says so.

It doesn't say which side is ahead

English "incomparable" is always praise. 比くらべものにならない only says the gap is huge, so the same words work from either side.

プロの料りょう理りは、私わたしの料りょう理りとは比くらべものにならない。

A professional's cooking is in a different league from mine.

The subject is far ahead.

私わたしの料りょう理りは、プロの料りょう理りとは比くらべものにならない。

My cooking is nowhere near a professional's.

The same words, and the subject is far behind.

When it isn't obvious, ほど and a description settle it: 比くらべものにならないほどおいしい.

Close neighbours

よりN5

Plain "than", with ずっと for a big gap. It needs a word such as 広ひろい to go with, so a sentence can't end より比くらべものにならない.

今いまの家いえは前まえの家いえよりずっと広ひろい。

Our house now is much bigger than the last one.

には及ばないN1

A measured "is no match for": the one before には is ahead, and the gap need not be wide.

技ぎ術じゅつでは、私わたしはまだ師し匠しょうには及およばない。

In technique, I am still no match for my teacher.

Check yourself

1Which is the more impressive?

写しゃ真しんで見みる富ふ士じ山さんは、実じつ物ぶつとは比くらべものにならない。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

今年ことしの暑あつさは、去きょ年ねん（　　）比くらべものにならない。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

比ひ較かくにならない says the same with a stiffer word. When both sides are named together, it is AとBでは比くらべものにならない.

人ひとの多おおさは、東とう京きょうと私わたしの町まちでは比くらべものにならない。

For sheer numbers of people, there is no comparing Tokyo and my town.

More sentences

今こん回かいの台たい風ふう被ひ害がいは、昨さく年ねんとは比くらべものにならないほど深しん刻こくだ。

The damage from this typhoon is far, far worse than last year's.

山さん頂ちょう付ふ近きんの寒さむさは、麓ふもととは比くらべものにならないほど厳きびしかった。

The cold near the summit was far harsher than anything at the foot of the mountain.

手しゅ術じゅつ後ごの痛いたみは、昨日きのうとは比くらべものにならないほど軽かるくなった。

The pain after the operation is nothing like as bad as it was yesterday.

この地ち域いきの家や賃ちんは、私わたしが学がく生せいだった頃ころとは比くらべものにならないほど高たかい。

Rents in this area are far, far higher than when I was a student.

予よ選せんの観かん客きゃく数すうは、決けっ勝しょう戦せんとは比くらべものにならないほど少すくなかった。

The crowd at the qualifying round was tiny beside the one at the final.