than

used after comparative words such as other: She is prettier than her sister.
Not to be confused with:then – at that time: He’ll be home then.; soon afterward: Then we’ll have dinner.; next in order

than

T0141300 (thăn, thən)conj.1. Used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second element or clause of an unequal comparison: She is a better athlete than I.2. Used to introduce the second element after certain words indicating difference: He draws quite differently than she does.3. When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.prep. Usage Problem In comparison or contrast with: could run faster than him; outclassed everyone other than her.

[Middle English, from Old English thanne, than; see to- in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: Since the 1700s, grammarians have insisted that than should be regarded as a conjunction in all its uses, so that a sentence such as Bill is taller than Tom should be construed as an elliptical version of the sentence Bill is taller than Tom is. According to this view, the case of a pronoun following than is determined by whether the pronoun serves as the subject or object of the verb that is "understood." Thus, the standard rule requires Pat is taller than I (not me) on the assumption that this sentence is elliptical for Pat is taller than I am. But the rule allows The news surprised Pat more than me, because this sentence is taken as elliptical for The news surprised Pat more than it surprised me. But this analysis is somewhat contrived. Than is quite commonly treated as a preposition when followed by an isolated noun phrase, and it often occurs with a pronoun in the objective case: John is taller than me. In such sentences using the nominative case (than I) can sound unnatural and even pretentious, and objecting to the objective case of the pronoun may sound pedantic. · In comparisons using than and as, the second element should be phrased to parallel the first, and faulty parallelism can arise especially when prepositional phrases are involved. In the sentence They felt that the condition of the new buildings was not much better than the old ones, the condition of the new buildings is compared with the old buildings themselves, not with their condition. The pronoun that must be added to balance the noun condition. The noun can be repeated instead, but in either case the prepositional phrase with of must follow: They felt that the condition of the new buildings was not much better than that (or than the condition) of the old ones. Similar parallelism should follow as: I want the photos in our brochure to look as impressive as those in their brochure (not I want the photos in our brochure to look as impressive as their brochure). · Than and as comparisons pose additional problems when the noun following than or as is the subject or object of an implied clause. Does the sentence The employees are more suspicious of the arbitrator than the owner mean that the employees distrust the arbitrator more than they distrust the owner or that the employees distrust the arbitrator more than the owner does? To clarify this, a verb must be added to the second element of the comparison: The employees are more suspicious of the arbitrator than they are of the owner or The employees are more suspicious of the arbitrator than the owner is. See Usage Note at as¹.

than

(ðæn; unstressed ðən) conj, prep (coordinating) 1. used to introduce the second element of a comparison, the first element of which expresses difference: shorter than you; couldn't do otherwise than love him; he swims faster than I run. 2. used after adverbs such as rather or sooner to introduce a rejected alternative in an expression of preference: rather than be imprisoned, I shall die. 3. other than besides; in addition to[Old English thanne; related to Old Saxon, Old High German thanna; see then]Usage: In formal English, than is usually regarded as a conjunction governing an unexpressed verb: he does it far better than I (do). The case of any pronoun therefore depends on whether it is the subject or object of the unexpressed verb: she likes him more than I (like him); she likes him more than (she likes) me. However in ordinary speech and writing than is usually treated as a preposition and is followed by the object form of a pronoun: my brother is younger than me

than

(ðæn, ðɛn; unstressed ðən, ən)

conj. 1. (used after comparative adjectives and adverbs and certain other words, such as other, otherwise, else, etc., to introduce the second member of a comparison): She's taller than I am. 2. (used after some adverbs and adjectives expressing choice or diversity, such as other, otherwise, else, anywhere, different, etc., to introduce an alternative or denote a difference in kind, place, style, identity, etc.): I had no choice other than that. 3. when: We barely arrived than it was time to leave. prep. 4. in relation to; by comparison with: He is taller than his father. [before 900; Middle English, Old English than(ne) than, then, when, orig. variant of thonne then] usage: Whether than is to be followed by the objective or subjective case of a pronoun is much discussed in usage guides. When, as a conjunction, than introduces a subordinate clause, the case of any pronouns following than is determined by their function in that clause: He is younger than I am. I like her better than I like him. When than is followed only by a pronoun or pronouns, with no verb expressed, the usual advice for determining the case is to form a clause mentally after than to see whether the pronoun would be a subject or an object. Thus, the sentences He was more upset than I and She gave him more sympathy than I are to be understood, respectively, as He was more upset than I was and She gave him more sympathy than I gave him. This method is generally employed in formal speech and writing. In informal speech and writing than is usu. treated like a preposition and followed by the objective case of the pronoun: He is younger than me. See also but¹, different, me.

than

1. 'than' used with comparatives

Than is mainly used after comparative adjectives and adverbs.

I am happier than I have ever been.They had to work harder than expected.

If you use a personal pronoun on its own after than, it must be an object pronoun such as me or him.

My brother is younger than me.Lamin was shorter than her.

However, if the pronoun is the subject of a clause, you use a subject pronoun.

They knew my past much better than she did.He's taller than I am.2. 'than ever'

You can also use ever or ever before after than. For example, if you say that something is 'bigger than ever' or 'bigger than ever before', you are emphasizing that it has never been as big as it is now, although it has always been big.

Bill worked harder than ever.He was now managing a bigger team than ever before.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'than' when you are making comparisons using not as or not so. Don't say, for example, 'He is not as tall than his sister'. You say 'He is not as tall as his sister'.

See as ... as3. 'more than'

You use more than to say that the number of people or things in a group is greater than a particular number.

We live in a city of more than a million people.There are more than two hundred and fifty species of shark.See more

You can also use more than in front of some adjectives as a way of emphasizing them. For example, instead of saying 'If you can come, I shall be very pleased', you can say 'If you can come, I shall be more than pleased'. This is a fairly formal use.

I am more than satisfied with my achievements in Australia.You would be more than welcome.4. 'rather than'

You use rather than when you want to compare something that is the case with something that is not.

The company's offices are in London rather than in Nottingham.She was angry rather than afraid.See rather

Translations

比

than

(ðən) , (ðӕn) conjunction, preposition a word used in comparisons. It is easier than I thought; I sing better than he does; He sings better than me.比

than

→ 比zhCN

than

See:

(have done) more (something) than (one) has had hot dinners
(one's) bark is worse than (one's) bite
(one's) eyes are bigger than (one's) belly
(one's) eyes are bigger than (one's) stomach
(one's) fair share (of something)
(something) is better than nothing
a bad excuse is better than none
a chain is no stronger than its weakest link
a fate worse than death
a live dog is better than a dead lion
a notch better than
actions speak louder than words
apples and oranges, like comparing
as old as my eyes and a little (bit) older than my teeth
bad excuse is better than none
bark is worse than one's bite
bark is worse than one's bite, one's
be a fate worse than death
be better off
be better than a kick in the pants
be greater/more than the sum of its parts
be higher than a kite
be larger than life
be more Catholic than the Pope (himself)
be more fun than a barrel of monkeys
be more than (something)
be more than glad, ready, etc.
be more trouble than it's worth
be more/bigger/greater than the sum of its parts
before you can say Jack Robinson
better (to be) safe than sorry
Better be an old man's darling than a young man's slave
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion
better dead than red
Better late than never
better off than (someone)
Better safe than sorry
better than
better than nothing
better than sex
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
better the devil you know than the one you don't know
better you than me
big as life
bite off more than (one) can chew
bite off more than can chew
bite off more than one can chew
bite off more than one can chew, to
bite off more than you can chew
blood is thicker than (something)
Blood is thicker than water
cannot see any further than the end of one’s nose
cannot see further than the end of one’s nose
cannot see further than your nose
can't say fairer than that
can't see (any) further than the end of (one's) nose
can't see beyond the end of one's nose
can't see farther than (one's) nose
can't see farther than the end of (one's) nose
can't see further than (the end of) (one's) (own) nose
catch more flies with honey than vinegar, one can
chain is no stronger than its weakest link
colder than a witch's tit
colder than the shady side of a banker's heart
cuter than a June bug
dead as a dodo
devil you know is better than the devil you don't know, the
didn't exchange more than three words with
didn't exchange more than three words with (one)
do more harm than good
do something more in sorrow than in anger
dumber than a doornail
easier said than done
easier than falling off a log
easier than rolling off a log
emptier than a banker's heart
Example is better than precept
exchange no more than
exchange no more than (an amount of) words
eyes are bigger than one's stomach, one's
Fact is stranger than fiction
faster than a cat lapping chain lightning
faster than a speeding bullet
faster than greased lightning
faster than you can say Jack Robinson
fate worse than death
fate worse than death, a
female of the species is more deadly than the male
finer than frog hair
Foresight is better than hindsight.
get more than (one) bargained for
go one better (than someone or something)
half a loaf is better than no bread
half a loaf is better than no loaf
Half a loaf is better than none
half a loaf is better than none/no bread
harder than the back of God's head
has more bark than bite
has more money than God
have eyes bigger than (one's) belly
have eyes bigger than (one's) stomach
have eyes bigger than your stomach
have had more than (one's) fair share of (something)
have more chins than a Chinese phone book
have more holes than Swiss cheese
have more luck than sense
have more money than God
have more money than sense
have more than one string to (one's) bow
have more than one string to fiddle
higher than a kite
higher than Gilderoy's kite
his, her, etc. bark is worse than his, her, etc. bite
holier than thou
holier-than-thou
honey catches more flies than vinegar
hotter than a two-dollar pistol
I wouldn't trust (someone) farther than I could throw (them)
I'd rather face a firing squad than (do something)
I'd rather face a firing squad than do
in less than no time
in more ways than one
in no time
is better than nothing
It is better to be born lucky than rich
It is better to give than to receive
It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
It is better to wear out than to rust out
it is easier to tear down than to build up
it is more blessed to give than to receive
it's better to ask forgiveness than permission
it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys
it's more than my job's worth
keep no more cats than can catch mice
know better
know better than
know no more about than a frog knows about bedsheets
large as life
large as/larger than life, as
larger than life
less than
less than (something)
less than pleased
little better than
little/no better than
make a better door than a window
man in the moon, (no more than) the
meaner than a junkyard dog
more (something) than Carter('s) has (liver) pills
more (something) than you can shake a stick at
more (to it) than meets the eye
more by accident than (by) design
more by accident than (by) judgment
more by luck than judgment
more Catholic than the Pope (himself)
more cry than wool
more dead than alive
more fun than a barrel of monkeys
more holes than Swiss cheese
more in sorrow than in anger
more kicks than halfpence
more often than not
more sinned against than sinner
more sinned against than sinning
more something than someone has had hot dinners
more than (one) bargained for
more than (one) can bear
more than (one) can endure
more than a little
more than a little excited, shocked, etc.
more than Carter has pills
more than flesh and blood can bear
more than flesh and blood can endure
more than flesh and blood can stand
more than flesh and blood can stand, endure, etc.
more than meets the eye
more than one bargained for
more than one can bear
more than one can shake a stick at
more than one way to skin a cat
more than one way to skin a cat, there's
more than someone has had hot dinners
more than you can (ever) know
more than you can shake a stick at
more than you know
more than you will ever know
more than your job's worth
more things than you can shake a stick at
more with brains than with brawn
more... than you can shake a stick at
more.../more often than somebody has had hot dinners
more/bigger/greater than the sum of its parts
no better than
no better than (one) ought to be
no better than (one) should be
no better than you should be
no less than
no less than...
No more than I have to
no more than ninepence in the shilling
no sooner (do something) than (do something else)
no sooner ... than
no sooner said than done
no sooner...than...
none other than
none other than somebody
not trust (someone) farther than (one) can throw (them)
notch above
nothing less than
nothing less than (something)
nothing more than
nothing more than (something)
nuttier than a fruitcake
nutty as a fruitcake
One's bark is worse than bite
one's eyes are bigger than stomach
other than
other than (something)
pen is mightier than the sword
pen is mightier than the sword, the
phonier than a three-dollar bill
pretty face, more than a/not just a
Prevention is better than cure
queerer than a three-dollar bill
quicker than hell
quicker than you can say Jack Robinson
rank higher than (one)
rarer than hens' teeth
rather (someone) than me
rather than
rather you than me
rather you, etc. than me
richer than Croesus
scarce as hen's teeth
scarcer than hens' teeth
see no further than (the end of) (one's) (own) nose
see no further than the end of nose
see no further than the end of one’s nose
slicker than snot on a doorknob
slow as (slower than) molasses (in January)
slow as molasses in January
slower than molasses
slower than molasses in January
snowball's chance in hell, no more than/not a
some are more equal than others
someone's bark is worse than their bite
someone's eyes are bigger than their belly
sooner rather than later
sooner than you think
stretch your arm no further than your sleeve (will reach)
stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach
sweet as honey
than the average bear
the female of the species is more deadly than the male
the half is better than the whole
the pen is mightier than the sword
there is more to (someone or something) than meets the eye
there's more than one way to skin a cat
there's more to somebody/something than meets the eye
there's more to someone or something than meets the eye
there's more to something/someone than meets the eye
'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
truth is stranger than fiction
Two heads are better than one
use your head for more than a hatrack
wear another hat
wear more than one hat
wear two hats (more than one hat), to
whiter than white
You are more than welcome
you attract more flies with honey than vinegar
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
You make a better door than you do a window
your bark is worse than your bite
your eyes are bigger than your stomach

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