Page 370 - Basic Japanese

motto: Motto hakkiri hanashite kudasai ‘Please talk more clearly,’

Motto yukkuri aruite kudasai ‘Please walk more slowly.’ (But mō
sukoshi… is often better.)

7.17. Questions with comparisons

Sometimes you want to ask a question about WHICH of two

or more things is MORE or MOST something, ‘Which is
bigger, the bank or the theater?,’ ‘Which is the most

expensive, beef, pork, or lamb?’ For such questions, in
Japanese you first set up the list of things you are going to
ask about. This may be done in several ways:

1. AとBとCと(では)

A to B to C to (de wa) (as for) A and B and C

2. AとBとCのうち(では)
A to B to C no uchi (de (as for) among A and

wa) B and C

3. AとBとCで(は)
A to B to C de (wa) (as for) being A and B

and C

4. AとBとCのうちで(は)
A to B to C no uchi de (as for) being among

(wa) A and B and C

Note that each of these expressions may or may not be

followed by the topic particle wa. Now after you’ve listed the
possible items, you ask which one is selected as the more

(or most) something-or-other. If there are just two items you