Level 4 · Upper Intermediate
Not as good as: A 不如 B
A + 不如 + B（+ Adj.）
A 不如 B says A doesn't measure up to B: 我的中文不如他 "my Chinese isn't as good as his". With no adjective, "not as good" is understood. Add one to name the quality: 坐车不如走路快 "taking the bus isn't as fast as walking".
The adjective stays bare and positive (快, 好, 方便) — 不如 already supplies the "less", so no 更 or 很 on top. For the everyday "not as … as" with 这么/那么, 没有-comparisons are the softer twin: 我的中文没有他好.
Examples
我的中文不如他。
wǒ de zhōng wén bù rú tā
My Chinese isn't as good as his.
坐车不如走路快。
坐車不如走路快。
zuò chē bù rú zǒu lù kuài
Taking the bus isn't as fast as walking.
这家店的菜不如以前好吃了。
這家店的菜不如以前好吃了。
zhè jiā diàn de cài bù rú yǐ qián hǎo chī le
This restaurant's food isn't as good as it used to be.
天气这么好，在家不如出去散步。
天氣這麼好，在家不如出去散步。
tiān qì zhè me hǎo zài jiā bù rú chū qù sàn bù
The weather's so nice — better to go out for a walk than stay home.
Common mistakes
✗ 坐车不如走路更快。
✓ 坐车不如走路快。
不如 already means "less than" — the adjective stays bare, with no 更 or 很.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like Make a Sentence with 如果 inside the Literate Chinese app.
