▎不如, bùrú, (Vst), not as good as

 

Function The transitive state verb 不如 introduces a comparison between two items. The first noun is inferior to, or less desirable, than the second.

1 這件衣服的品質不如那件的好。

Zhè jiàn yīfú de pǐnzhí bùrú nà jiàn de hǎo.

The quality of this garment is not as good as that one.

2 這家火鍋店的海鮮不如那家的新鮮。

Zhè jiā huǒguō diàn de hǎixiān bùrú nà jiā de xīnxiān.

The seafood in this hot pot restaurant is not as fresh as that one.

3 搭捷運得轉兩趟車，不如坐公車方便。

Dā jiéyùn děi zhuǎn liǎng tàng chē, bùrú zuò gōngchē fāngbiàn.

Taking the MRT, you have to transfer twice. It’s not as convenient as taking the bus.

4 考試以前才熬夜念書，不如平常就做好準備。

Kǎoshì yǐqián cái áoyè niànshū, bùrú píngcháng jiù zuòhǎo zhǔnbèi.

Staying up all night to study just before the test isn’t as good as being prepared on a general basis.

5 太陽這麼大，躺在沙灘上，不如回房間看電視舒服。

Tàiyáng zhème dà, tǎng zài shātān shàng, bùrú huí fángjiān kàn diànshì shūfú.

The sun is scorching. Lying on the beach isn’t as comfortable as returning to the room and watching TV.

 

Usage

(1) The state verb at the end of a sentence with 不如 must indicate a desirable property. E.g., you cannot say ＊這支手機不如那支手機舊。Zhè zhī shǒujī bùrú nà zhī shǒujī jiù. ‘This cellphone is not as old as that one.’

(2) If the context of a sentence using a state verb is clear, then the state verb can be omitted. For example:

A：我的手機壞了。你知道哪裡可以修理嗎？

Wǒ de shǒujī huài le. Nǐ zhīdào nǎlǐ kěyǐ xiūlǐ ma?

My cell phone is broken. Do you know where I can get it fixed?

B：你的手機已經那麼舊了。修理不如買一支新的（好）。

Nǐ de shǒujī yǐjīng nàme jiù le. Xiūlǐ bùrú mǎi yì zhī xīn de (hǎo).

Your cell phone is already so old. Rather than fix it, get a new one.

(3) ‘A 不如 B’ and ‘A 沒有méi yǒu B 那麼nàme...’ are similar, but there are differences:

1 不如 is frequently used in literary Chinese. A 沒有 B 那麼... is more colloquial.

2 The state verb at the end of a sentence using 不如 can be omitted. The same is not true of A 沒有 B 那麼.... E.g., 坐巴士不如坐高鐵（快）。Zuò bāshì bùrú zuò gāotiě (kuài). ‘Taking the HSR is faster than taking a bus.’; But you cannot say ＊坐巴士沒有坐高鐵那麼。(＊Zuò bāshì méi yǒu zuò gāotiě nàme.)