〜に比べて

Noun + に比べて sets up a benchmark for comparison — "compared with A, B…": 去年に比べて、今年は雨が多い (compared with last year, it rains a lot this year). The phrase に比べて typically stands at the beginning of the sentence, hanging up the benchmark before delivering the observation, which makes it a great fit for descriptive writing and data reports.

The variants と比べて and に比べると carry the same meaning; と比べて sounds a bit more everyday.

You've been comparing with より since N5 — より is compact and direct (今年は去年より雨が多い), while に比べて sets the benchmark clearly apart, emphasizing the comparison itself, and is required whenever you want to open a sentence with "compared with… ." For the reverse direction, "not as… as," Japanese uses ほど with a negative, as you learned at N4.

Examples

• 去年(きょねん)に比(くら)べて、今年(ことし)は雨(あめ)が多(おお)いです。

  Compared with last year, we're getting a lot of rain this year.

• 兄(あに)に比(くら)べて、弟(おとうと)はよく勉強(べんきょう)します。

  Compared with his older brother, the younger brother studies hard.

• 都会(とかい)に比(くら)べて、田舎(いなか)は物価(ぶっか)が安(やす)いです。

  Compared with the city, prices in the countryside are cheaper.

Related patterns

• 〜ほど
• 〜わりに（は）
• 〜に対して