Explanation
Use the comparative form to compare two things. Short adjectives often take "-er", but the spelling can change.
For example, in "My new bag is bigger than my old one.", "My new bag" is the thing we talk about first, "is" links the noun to the adjective, and "bigger" means "more big". The final consonant is doubled in "big" because it is a short word with one vowel sound. In Japanese, you can say "より" or just use a different adjective, but English often changes the spelling of the adjective. For longer adjectives, use "more", as in "This option is more useful for me."
2つのものを比べるときに比較級を使います。短い形容詞は多くの場合 "-er" を付けますが、つづりが変わることがあります。たとえば "My new bag is bigger than my old one." では、"My new bag" が比べるもの、"is" が名詞と形容詞をつなぐ部分、"bigger" が "big" の比較級です。"big" は短い語なので、最後の子音が重なって "bigger" になります。日本語では「より」や別の形容詞で表せますが、英語では形容詞のつづり自体が変わることがあります。長い形容詞では "more" を使い、たとえば "This option is more useful for me." のように言います。
Examples
- My new bag is bigger than my old one. 私の新しいバッグは古いバッグより大きいです。
- This street is busier in the morning. この通りは朝のほうが混みます。
- Her room is nicer than mine. 彼女の部屋は私の部屋よりきれいです。
- Is this box heavier than that one? この箱はあの箱より重いですか。
- Today feels colder than yesterday. 今日は昨日より寒く感じます。
- This option is more useful for me. この選択肢のほうが私には役立ちます。
Common Mistakes
Japanese learners often write "more bigger" or forget the spelling change, like "biger" or "easyer".
Wrong: "This bag is more bigger."
Right: "This bag is bigger."
Wrong: "It is easyer."
Right: "It is easier."
日本人学習者は "more bigger" と重ねてしまったり、つづりの変化を忘れて "biger" や "easyer" と書きがちです。
誤り: "This bag is more bigger."
正しくは: "This bag is bigger."
誤り: "It is easyer."
正しくは: "It is easier."