167 Adjectival expressions in comparative sentences 6.6.7.2 Adverb (to) shita noun
Many onomatope adverbs (see 28.3) modify nouns by means of to shita, or just shita. But note that there are also some onomatope which modify N by means of no.
Note – despite the -ta form used, no meaning of completion or past is present with (to) shita.
a ふとしたことから寺山修司を知った。(ふと futo ‘suddenly’, ‘accidentally’) Futo shita koto kara Terayama Shoji o shitta.
By chance I got to know Terayama Shjji.
b 川床に座ると、ひんやりした風が頬をなでてい〱。(ひんやり hin’yari ‘cool’)
Kawadoko ni suwaru to, hin’yari shita kaze ga hoho o nadete iku.
When one sits down on the riverbed [platform], a cool wind caresses one’s cheeks.
6.6.8 Noun ga/no adjective/verb + noun
Some N ga/no adjective/verb combinations have adjectival meaning as lexical items. N ga adjective combinations include se ga takai ‘tall’, atama ga ii ‘intelligent’, etc., and N ga V combinations are settokuryoku ga aru
‘convincing’ and ninki ga aru ‘popular’.
In noun-modifying use, these can use either ga or no, although no is far more common.
a 背が高い女性が多〱なっているのに対応したもの。
Se ga takai josei ga nku natte iru no ni tain shita mono.
This [introducing larger sizes] is to deal with the fact that there are more tall women.
b 説得力のあるコーチになるだろう。
Settokuryoku no aru knchi ni naru darn. He should turn out to be a convincing coach.
6.7 Adjectival expressions in comparative sentences
168 6 Adjectives
Unlike such English formations as cheap → cheaper/cheapest, Japanese has no comparative and superlative forms of adjectives as such. Comparison (including choice of alternatives) is therefore effected by different means, some of which are similar to the English regular formations ‘more beauti- ful’/‘most beautiful’, i.e. adverbs of degree such as motto ‘more’ and ichiban/mottomo ‘most’ are used (see 10.2.2).
The case particle yori and the noun hi (‘on the . . . side’) also figure prom- inently in comparative sentences (see 2.9.2).
6.7.1 Comparison using yori and/or hn ga
The most common way of making a comparison uses the particle yori
‘more than’, ‘rather than’ and/or the noun hi (usually marked by the case particle ga). In combination with hi(‘side’), ga may be seen as a way of emphasizing the item it is modified by (example a literally translates as something like “Rather than pork, beef is cheap”). The combination indi- cates the alternative in a choice of two.
6.7.1.1 Y yori (mo) X no hn ga adjective: X (no hn) ga Y yori (mo) adjective
Both constructions mean ‘X is [adjective]-er than Y’. Note that instead of adjectives, verbs (and verb forms with a stative meaning) can also be used.
Comparing the two word orders, Y yori (mo) X no hi ga Adj is the more usual (unmarked) one, X (no hi) ga Y yori (mo) Adj having the effect of emphasizing the comparison (compare examples a and b).
a 豚肉より牛肉の方が安い。
Butaniku yori gyoniku no hn ga yasui.
Beef is cheaper than pork.
b 牛肉が豚肉より安い——。食肉市場ではこんな逆転現象が起きている。
Gyoniku ga butaniku yori yasui – . Shokuniku shijn de wa konna gyakuten genshn ga okite iru
Beef is cheaper than pork –. This kind of reversal is happening in the meat market.
c 人のいのちは地球より重い、という。
Hito no inochi wa chikyo yori omoi, to iu.
They say that a human life weighs heavier than the earth.
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169 Adjectival expressions in comparative sentences d 金子さんの観察では、男性よりも女性の方が冷静だ。
Kaneko-san no kansatsu de wa, dansei yori mo josei no hn ga reisei da.
According to Kaneko-san’s observation, women are more level-headed than men.
6.7.1.2 Time expression + particle yori This combination means ‘compared to’.
a 昨日より軟らかいよ。
Kinn yori yawarakai yo.
They [= pears] are softer than yesterday.
b これまでより五モデル増える。
Kore made yori go-moderu fueru.
Compared to before, there will be five new models.
6.7.1.3 Clause yori
Here, two options are considered, with the clause marked by yori judged to be the less preferable one ‘rather than’.
a 今は森を見るより木を見る時だ。
Ima wa mori o miru yori ki o miru toki da.
This is the time to look at the trees rather than the woods.
b 会社に無理して勤めるより，好きなことで生活したい。
Kaisha ni muri shite tsutomeru yori, suki na koto de seikatsu shitai.
Rather than forcing myself to work at a company, I’d like to earn my living doing something I like.
6.7.1.4 Clause yori hoka . . . negative
Followed by a negative form, this indicates that the option (the clause to which yori hoka is attached) is the only viable possibility ‘there is no choice but’.
a 「株を持ち続けるよりほかに手はない」とあきらめ切った表情。
‘Kabu o mochitsuzukeru yori hoka ni te wa nai’ to akiramekitta hynjn.
‘There’s no choice but to keep holding on to the shares’, he said with an expression of total resignation.
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170 6 Adjectives
b できたばかりの支店を軌道に乗せるためには、がむしゃらに働〱 よりほかない。
Dekita bakari no shiten o kidn ni noseru tame ni wa, gamushara ni hataraku yori hoka nai.
In order to get a newly established branch going, there’s no other way than to work like mad.
6.7.1.5 Idiom: nani yori (mo)
Unlike other question words + yori, which express the idea of ‘more . . . than’, question word + nani yori (mo) is an idiomatic expression with the mean- ing of ‘above all’, ‘more than anything else’.
a 何より印象的なのが、カメラの位置が低いことだ。
Nani yori inshn-teki na no ga, kamera no ichi ga hikui koto da.
What’s impressive above all is the low position of the camera.
6.7.2 Comparison with adverb (yori-, motto, ichiban) + adjective 6.7.2.1 yori-adjective
In this use, yori- acts like a prefix, used as an equivalent to the compara- tive form ‘more . . .’, ‘-er’ in languages like English.
The construction yori-adjective itself, and certain derived noun + verb/
adjective expressions with adjectival meaning such as antei shite iru ‘be secure’, settokuryoku ga aru ‘be convincing’, inpakuto ga ikii ‘have a big impact’, etc. are said to have arisen under influence from Western languages.
a ゲームはよりリアルになっている。
Glmu wa yori-riaru ni natte iru.
Games have become more real[istic].
b より高い背により小さな足に。
Yori-takai se ni yori-chiisana ashi ni.
[Women have developed] taller figures and smaller feet.
c 直接投資の方がよりインパクトが大きい。
Chokusetsu tnshi no hn ga yori-inpakuto ga nkii.
Direct investment makes the greater impact.