HSK 2
数量补语2:形容词+数量补语
shù liàng bǔ yǔ 2 : xíng róng cí + shù liàng bǔ yǔ
Quantity complement 2: adjective + quantity complement
Explanation
This is a complement (a component placed after a verb/adjective to add a result or degree) of quantity that comes after an adjective, indicating HOW MUCH the DIFFERENCE is when comparing, usually used together with '比' (bǐ, compared to).
A + 比 (bǐ) + B + adjective + quantity complement. The quantity complement comes AFTER the adjective. For example 大两岁 dà liǎng suì (two years older), 凉快一点儿 liángkuai yìdiǎnr (a little cooler).
when comparing two things and wanting to state SPECIFICALLY how much more or less — an exact difference (两岁 - two years) or a vague difference (一点儿 / 一些 - a little).
'一点儿' and '一些' both mean 'a little, a bit'; in this comparative sentence they are almost interchangeable, placed after the adjective to indicate a small difference.
Vietnamese learners often put the degree adverb '很' (very) into a comparative sentence (wrong: *我比弟弟很大*). In a sentence with '比', do NOT use '很/非常'; to say a big difference use '多' or a number, to say a small difference use '一点儿/一些' placed AFTER the adjective (大一点儿, one does not say *一点儿大*).
Examples
I am two years older than my younger brother.
Yesterday was very hot, today is a little cooler.
Her Chinese is a bit more fluent than mine.
Practice
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Learn “数量补语2:形容词+数量补语” effectively
The grammar point “数量补语2:形容词+数量补语” (Quantity complement 2: adjective + quantity complement) is one of the key structures at HSK 2. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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