より

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Add より after the item serving as the standard of comparison.
• Basic usage: It expresses a difference in quality or preference between two items.
  • 犬より猫が好きです。 uses dogs as the comparison standard and says that cats are preferred.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Direction of comparison
  • In この部屋はあの部屋より明るいです。, this room is brighter. The other room immediately before より is the standard, not the room being described as brighter.
• Relative and absolute judgments
  • Preferring cats does not mean disliking dogs. A difference between two items is distinct from an absolute judgment about either one.
• Role of ほう
  • 猫のほうが犬より好きです。 uses ほう to highlight the preferred side of the comparison. より does not always require ほう alongside it.