Comparison with 比, 較, 還較 and 盡 — Sixian Hakka Grammar

A comparison is built with (biˋpí) standing between the two things compared, and the adjective coming last: A (biˋpí) B + ADJECTIVE. There is no word answering to English than after the adjective, and the adjective itself never changes shape — nothing corresponds to the -er of warmer.

這位个天時比屋下燒暖。
iaˋ vi ge tienˊ siiˇ biˋ vugˋ kaˊ seuˊ nonˊyá vi ke thiên sṳ̀ pí vuk khâ sêu nôn
The weather here is warmer than at home.
這位个人比屋下个人靚。
iaˋ vi ge nginˇ biˋ vugˋ kaˊ ge nginˇ jiangˊyá vi ke ngìn pí vuk khâ ke ngìn chiâng
The people here are better-looking than the people back home.
這位个食物比義大利个差。
iaˋ vi ge siid vud biˋ ngi tai li ge caˊyá vi ke sṳ̍t vu̍t pí ngi thai li ke chhâ
The food here is worse than in Italy.

較 — More

(kakha) placed before an adjective raises it a degree, giving more or rather. It can be used with no second thing named at all, when what is being compared against is understood from the conversation.

你知哪家餐廳較好無？
nˇ diˊ nai gaˊ conˊ tangˊ ka hoˋ moˇǹ tî nai kâ chhôn thâng kha hó mò
Do you know which restaurant is better?
你做得講較慢兜仔無？
nˇ zo dedˋ gongˋ ka man deuˊ eˋ moˇǹ cho tet kóng kha man têu é mò
Could you speak a bit more slowly?

還較 — Even More

(hanˇ kahàn kha) strengthens the comparison to even more or still more. It sits in the same slot before the adjective, and combines readily with (biˋpí) to give the full frame A (biˋpí) B (hanˇ kahàn kha) ADJECTIVE.

這隻假期比𠊎按算个還較好。
iaˋ zagˋ gaˋ kiˇ biˋ ngaiˇ on son ge hanˇ ka hoˋyá chak ká khì pí ngài on son ke hàn kha hó
This vacation is even better than I had expected.
無比這還較便宜个了。
moˇ biˋ iaˋ hanˇ ka pienˇ ngiˇ ge leˋmò pí yá hàn kha phièn ngì ke lé
There's nothing even cheaper than this.

盡 — The Most

(qinchhin) before an adjective makes a superlative. It very often appears with (geke) following the adjective, giving the …-est one, and the group the superlative is drawn from can be named ahead of it.

這係你做得尋著个盡便宜个。
iaˋ he nˇ zo dedˋ qimˇ doˋ ge qin pienˇ ngiˇ geyá he ǹ cho tet chhìm tó ke chhin phièn ngì ke
This is the cheapest one you can find.
這係世界項盡好个餐廳。
iaˋ he sii gie hong qin hoˋ ge conˊ tangˊyá he sṳ kie hong chhin hó ke chhôn thâng
This is the best restaurant in the world.
𠊎同一位同事係盡好个朋友。
ngaiˇ tungˇ idˋ vi tungˇ sii he qin hoˋ ge penˇ iuˊngài thùng yit vi thùng sṳ he chhin hó ke phèn yû
A colleague and I are the best of friends.

The Whole Range

The three form a simple ladder. (kakha) raises an adjective one step; (hanˇ kahàn kha) raises it further; (qinchhin) takes it to the top. (biˋpí) is separate from all three — it names what the comparison is against, and can stand with or without them.

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