より・
Japanese adjectives have no "-er" or "-est". より is "than", のほうが marks which of two wins, and 一番 is "the most".
the most
Of Japan's seasons, I like autumn the best.
A is more … than B
A は + B より + adjective
The adjective stays as it is.
Of the two, A is more …
（B より）A のほうが + adjective
A is a noun. After a verb or an い-adjective there is no の: 安いほうが.
Which of the two?
A と B と、どちらが + adjective + か
With friends, どっち.
A is the most …
（group で／の中で）A が一番 + adjective
The idea
English changes the adjective: fast, faster, fastest. Japanese leaves 速い as it is and marks the things being compared. To read a comparison, look at which word each marker follows.
より after B
"Than B". B is the one A is measured against.
The train is faster than the bus.
のほうが after A
A is the one that wins: the faster one, the cheaper one, the one you like better. ほう means "side".
The train is faster.
どちらが
Asks which of two wins.
Which is faster, the train or the bus?
が一番 after A
A beats everything else in the group.
The bullet train is the fastest.
Than: より
より comes after the thing you measure against. English puts "than" in front of it.
My older sister is taller than I am.
Tokyo has more people than Osaka.
"Has more people" is 人が多い: the people are many.
My older brother gets up earlier than I do.
It works for what people do, too. 早く is "early" and "earlier".
How much more goes right before the adjective: an amount, ずっと (much) or 少し (a little).
The coffee at this shop is one hundred yen cheaper than at the shop by the station.
Is this room larger than the previous room?
Yes, it is much larger.
B doesn't repeat 前の部屋より. Once it is clear what you are measuring against, it goes unsaid.
Than I thought, than usual
思ったよりthan I expected
The test was easier than I expected.
いつもよりthan usual
I got up earlier than usual today.
前よりthan before
Your Japanese has gotten better than before.
Of the two: のほうが
When you set two things side by side, the one that wins takes のほうが. English "prefer" is のほうが好き.
The Shinkansen is faster than the bus.
It is quieter at night than in the morning.
I'd rather have coffee.
With いい it is "I'd rather have" or "would be better".
The より part can come first or second. Either way, より follows the one that loses.
I prefer dogs to cats.
より second. It means the same.
は or のほうが?
This shop is cheaper than the shop by the station.
You are already talking about this shop.
This shop is cheaper than the shop by the station.
You are choosing between the two shops.
So the answer to "which?" takes のほうが.
Asking which of two: どちら
Which do you prefer, summer or winter?
I prefer winter.
どちら is for exactly two, whatever they are: things, people, places, days. The second と often drops, and with friends どちら becomes どっち.
Which do you like better, movies or games?
You don't have to pick one.
どちらもboth
I like both.
With a negative it is "neither": どちらも好きじゃありません.
The most: 一番
一番 is "number one". Before an adjective it is "the most" or "-est", and 一番好き is "like best".
The group you are picking from comes first. A place, or a group such as a class, can take plain で: 世界で, 日本で, クラスで. A kind of thing or a set of items usually takes の中で, "out of".
The highest mountain in the world is Everest.
Among these four people, Ms. Tanaka is the tallest.
English "favorite" is 一番好きな, and "nearest" is 一番近い.
What is your favorite food?
Where is the nearest station from here?
Asking with three or more
With three or more, どちら no longer fits. The question word depends on what you are choosing: だれ for people, どこ for places, いつ for times, 何 for a kind of thing, どれ for items in front of you or on a list.
Which do you like better, dogs or cats?
Two: どちら, and no 一番.
Which animal do you like best?
Three or more: a question word and 一番.
Which of these three bags is the lightest?
Which of these three towns is the quietest?
"More" and "less"
There is a word for "more": もっと. You mostly hear it when the "than" part goes unsaid: more than this one, more than now.
Do you have a cheaper one?
Please speak more slowly.
There is no word for "less". You say it from the other side: "fewer people" is 人が少ない, "less expensive" is 安い.
This town has fewer people than Tokyo.
Close neighbours
ほど～ないN3
"Not as … as". This, and not より with a negative, is the usual way to say one thing falls short of another.
Today is not as cold as yesterday.
二番目N5
"The second". Before an adjective, 二番目に is "second most": 二番目に高い, "the second highest". 一番, "the most", has no 目.
I'm the second tallest in my class.
たほうがいいN5
After a verb in the た-form, ほうがいい is advice: "you should".
It is cold, so you should close the window.
どちら is also a polite "where" or "which way".
Where is reception?
Check yourself
1What does this mean?
バスより
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
この
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
Comparing things you do
A verb in its dictionary form can stand before より and before ほうが.
Making it is cheaper than buying it.
The bigger one, please.
Twice as much: 二倍
"Twice as much" is 二倍. The thing you measure against takes の here, not より: この町の二倍, "twice this town's". 三倍 (three times) and 半分 (half) go the same way. It can stand before a verb too: 兄は私の二倍食べる, "my older brother eats twice as much as I do".
Rent in Tokyo is twice what it is in this town.
よりも, の方が, 最も
よりも is より with a little more weight. のほうが is often written の方が. In writing, 最も often stands where 一番 would.
より on a letter
At the end of a letter or a card, より after a name is "from": 田中より.
More sentences
This bag is lighter than that bag.
The meeting ended earlier than planned.
I eat rice more often than bread.
The older brother is taller than the younger brother.
This shop is cheaper than the shop by the station.
My older sister cooks more often than my younger sister.
Which is more difficult, Japanese or English?
Which is heavier, this box or that box?
Which is easier for studying, morning or night?
Of these four books, this one is the most interesting.
Of the five people in my family, my father gets up the earliest.
Of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, when are you busiest?