比べる
This page explains に比べる, を比べる and と比べて phrases.
I have listed possible patterns for the phrases as well as the “preferred patterns” for each.
This is not a hard rule, or fact, but is based on my experience with the phrases.
If you disagree, you may leave a comment below.
に比べる
Compared to
Noun + に比べる
に比べて is a に phrase meaning “compared to”. It’s pretty straightforward to use.
Verbs, etc. may be nominalized to be used with に比べる.
に比べる is always in the pattern of either に比べて, or as a conditional.
It is frequently used with ほうが.
Patterns
に比べて can be used in the following patterns:
Xに比べてY – Most common pattern/preferred.
XをYに比べて
Examples
- 仕事に比べて学校は楽しい – School is fun compared to work.
- 猫に比べて、犬のほうは大きい – Dogs are big compared to cats.
- 彼女に比べて、そんなにきれいじゃない – When compared to my girlfriend, they aren’t that pretty.
- ホテルで働くのに比べて、ここは楽だ – Compared to working at a hotel, this is easy
Conditional Examples:
- 先生に比べれば、やさしい – If you compare to the teacher, (they are) nice.
- 彼のサインに比べると、同じように見える。- If compared to his autograph, it looks the same.
- 猫を犬に比べたら、猫のほうが清潔 – Comparing cats to dogs, cats are cleaner.
を比べる
Comparing X and Y
XとYを比べて
A predictable and easier to understand variation is を比べる. It is used to compare two things, but is more wordy, and hence less common.
The reason it is more wordy is because it must explicitly list what is being compared twice, such as:
XとYを比べて、Ｘのほうが。。
に比べて is typically preferred; unless you want to draw explicit attention to the act of comparing or the things being compared.
を比べる is typically used as a conditional.
Patterns
XとYを比べてY
Xを比べて (Where X encompasses both, such as companies, schools, etc). * Preferred for this pattern
Examples
- 彼と僕を比べると、僕のほうが頭がいい。 – If you compare me and him, I’m smarter.
- ネズミと鳥を比べたら、鳥のほうがかわいい – If you compare mice and birds, birds are cuter.
- 作品を比べたが、同じじゃなさそうだ。 – I compared the products, but they don’t seem to be the same.
- 会社を比べれば、その会社のほうがしっかりしている。 – If you compare companies, that one is more together.
- 試作を比べて考えます – I’ll compare the samples and think about it.
と比べて
Comparing X and Y/Compared to
Noun + と比べて
The final, somewhat rarer variation of a 比べる pattern is と比べて。
と比べて can be used like both に比べて and を比べて, but is more common as に比べて,
for the same reasons as mention before as well as a dislike of XとYと比べて.
Nuance wise, と比べて compares things that are “closer” or more related distance or psychologically together. But don’t worry about trying to use it, as it is somewhat rare. (source)
Patterns
と比べて can have the following patterns:
- XとYと比べて – Least preferred pattern.
- XをYと比べて –
- Xと比べてY
と比べて is unlikely to be used when the things being compared are the same encompassing noun:
- (両方の) 会社と比べたら、その会社のほうが安い – If you compare company to company, that one is cheaper.
- (両方の) 足と比べたら、彼の足のほうが長い – Comparing legs to legs, his legs are longer.
Examples
- 彼と比べたら、彼女のほうがしっかりしている – Compare to him, she’s got it together.
- リンゴをミカンと比べたら、リンゴのほうがおいしい – If you compare apples and oranges, oranges taste better.
- 僕を彼女と比べると、彼女のほうが頭がいい – When you compare me to her, she’s smarter.
Nuance Summary
These phrases all mean basically the same thing, but differ slightly in their particle usages.
If we had to list a specific difference:
- に比べる – Tends to be used to list the point of comparison first. (Compared to..)
- を比べる – Tends to be used “to compare” things. (Comparing X and Y)
- と比べる – Tends to be used like に比べる, when things are “closer“. (Comparing X with).