More complex comparisons with より


The use of より/のほうが for comparisons seems straightforward when comparing like
with like (e.g. "私の方が彼より英語が上手く話せる"). But I have trouble finding a non-clumsy
way to express more complex comparisons, e.g. constructing as phrase like "a
person who speaks English better than I speak Japanese".

What are some natural ways of expressing this kind of comparison, where we're
not directly comparing the same quality/attribute between the two sides?




より can take a subordinate clause, just as in English "than" can take a
subordinate clause. So literal translations would be:

> 私が日本語を話すより彼は英語が上手く話せる。  
>  私が日本語を話すより彼の方が英語が上手く話せる。  
>  彼の方が私が日本語を話すより英語が上手く話せる。  
>  He speaks English better than I speak Japanese.

The third one is nested and may seem complicated, but is closer to your
original sentence.

Or using a relative clause, this becomes:

> 私が日本語を話すより英語が上手く話せる人  
>  a person who speaks English better than I speak Japanese

In the above examples, 英語 **が** 話せる and 英語 **を** 話せる [are basically
interchangeable](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/609/5010).

But I'd suggest you rephrase it and say the same thing more simply:

> 彼の英語の方が私の日本語より上手い。  
>  私の日本語より彼の英語は上手い。  
>  His English is better than my Japanese.
>
> 私の日本語より英語が上手い人  
>  a person whose English is better than my Japanese




より can take a subordinate clause, just as in English "than" can take a
subordinate clause. So literal translations would be:

> 私が日本語を話すより彼は英語が上手く話せる。  
>  私が日本語を話すより彼の方が英語が上手く話せる。  
>  彼の方が私が日本語を話すより英語が上手く話せる。  
>  He speaks English better than I speak Japanese.

The third one is nested and may seem complicated, but is closer to your
original sentence.

Or using a relative clause, this becomes:

> 私が日本語を話すより英語が上手く話せる人  
>  a person who speaks English better than I speak Japanese

In the above examples, 英語 **が** 話せる and 英語 **を** 話せる [are basically
interchangeable](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/609/5010).

But I'd suggest you rephrase it and say the same thing more simply:

> 彼の英語の方が私の日本語より上手い。  
>  私の日本語より彼の英語は上手い。  
>  His English is better than my Japanese.
>
> 私の日本語より英語が上手い人  
>  a person whose English is better than my Japanese

