connective N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜に比べて — compared to ~
〜に比べて ・ にくらべて
Meaning
- compared to ~ / in comparison with ~ — sets a baseline against which a difference is measured
〜に比べて marks the thing you're measuring against, then states how the subject differs: 去年に比べて売上が増えた ('sales rose compared to last year'). Unlike より, which directly ranks two things ('A is bigger than B'), に比べて frames a baseline and is common with changes, statistics, and broad tendencies. Slightly formal; everyday speech often uses より.
Key sentence
去年に比べて、今年は雨が多い。
Compared to last year, there's been more rain this year.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + に比べて | N + に比べて | 以前に比べて / 男性に比べて |
Examples
都会に比べて、田舎は物価が安い。
Compared to the city, the countryside has lower prices.
去年に比べて、人口が減っている。
The population is shrinking compared to last year.
兄に比べて、弟はおとなしい。
Compared to his older brother, the younger one is quiet.
Easily confused with
〜より より directly ranks two items ('A より B のほうが ~'); に比べて sets a *baseline* and describes the gap from it — better for trends and statistics, and it doesn't need a 'winner'. に比べると Near-identical; に比べると frames it as a slight conditional ('when you compare it to ~') and leans a touch more tentative, while に比べて is the plainer 'compared to'.
Notes
- The noun-modifying form is 〜に比べての (に比べての伸び, 'the growth relative to ~'). Formal writing also uses 〜と比べて with と.
See 〜に比べて in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜に比べて the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in Jengo