<p>I'd translate those sentences in this way:</p>

<p>他没有我高: "He <strong>isn't as tall</strong> as me." Or more literally, "He <strong>hasn't got</strong> my height."</p>

<p>他不比我高: "He <strong>isn't any taller</strong> than me."</p>

<p>As others have said, the first one, using 没有, is clearly saying that 他 isn't as 高 as 我. It's an <strong>inequality</strong>, and you use it to establish that <strong>one is more than the other.</strong></p>

<p>Usually when you use 不比, you're indicating <strong>a sort-of equality</strong>. Like "these two things are in the same ballpark." You'd use it to indicate that it isn't meaningful to say which one is greater.</p>

<p>If someone said "他不比我高," my expectation would be that 他 and 我 are <strong>roughly the same height</strong>, with 他 maybe being the slightly shorter of the two (but that's not a rule).</p>

<hr>

<p>Bonus example:</p>

<p>"麦当劳不比肯德基贵"</p>

<p><strong>"McDonalds isn't any more expensive than KFC."</strong></p>

<p>The expectation is that if a meal at KFC costs 20元，then a meal at McDonalds could cost 18元 or 22元, and that would be acceptable.</p>

<p>If the McDonalds meal actually cost 10元, well that's a meaningful difference and you'd want to use something else... Like "麦当劳没有肯德基贵."</p>

<p>Hope that helps :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-04T23:49:17.417Z
2017-01-04T23:49:17.417Z
thanks-shakey-snake
<p>in most cases you are right, but in precise context, like academic paper or legal document, they could be the same, both means "he is not taller than you, maybe shorter, maybe the same as you"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T05:20:27.840Z
2016-04-05T05:20:27.840Z
gcd0318
<p>I'm a native Chinese speaker, and the following is only my personal opinion from my experiences.  In fact, I've never thought about the difference between “不比”and“没有”.</p>

<p>I think your understanding is correct.</p>

<p>Some possibly interesting things for you:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他可不比我。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This means: "he is not similar to me" (it suggests than he is weaker than me in some way).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他可没有我。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This means: "he is not in possession of me" which may be improper without context.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-04-04T14:30:33.223Z
2020-03-17T01:07:20.013Z
2020-03-17T01:07:20.013Z
Shockla
<p>If my understanding is correct, then:</p>

<ol>
<li>他没有我高。= he's not as tall as me, i.e. he is shorter.</li>
<li>他不比我高。= he's either as tall as me or shorter, i.e. he's at most as tall as me.</li>
</ol>

<p>Is that correct? If so, in what situations would one use 不比? Is it when one is sure that a certain thing is no more than the compared one, but not sure if it is the same or less? Or do people just use it without thinking about it -- e.g. someone says 不比, but may mean 没有?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-05T12:54:17.910Z
required info contained in grammars (section on comparison) and dictionaries, these will discuss/have entries for 比 and 没有，to negate 比 it remains to put adverb 不 before (verb) 比
user6065
<usage><difference><comparison><adjectives>
不比 vs 没有 comparison usage
# 不比 vs 没有 comparison usage

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-04)

If my understanding is correct, then:

1. 他没有我高。= he's not as tall as me, i.e. he is shorter.
2. 他不比我高。= he's either as tall as me or shorter, i.e. he's at most as tall as me.

Is that correct? If so, in what situations would one use 不比? Is it when one is sure that a certain thing is no more than the compared one, but not sure if it is the same or less? Or do people just use it without thinking about it -- e.g. someone says 不比, but may mean 没有?

**Tags:** usage, difference, comparison, adjectives

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: required info contained in grammars (section on comparison) and dictionaries, these will discuss/have entries for 比 and 没有，to negate 比 it remains to put adverb 不 before (verb) 比  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-04. Score: 1

I'd translate those sentences in this way:

他没有我高: "He **isn't as tall** as me." Or more literally, "He **hasn't got** my height."

他不比我高: "He **isn't any taller** than me."

As others have said, the first one, using 没有, is clearly saying that 他 isn't as 高 as 我. It's an **inequality**, and you use it to establish that **one is more than the other.**

Usually when you use 不比, you're indicating **a sort-of equality**. Like "these two things are in the same ballpark." You'd use it to indicate that it isn't meaningful to say which one is greater.

If someone said "他不比我高," my expectation would be that 他 and 我 are **roughly the same height**, with 他 maybe being the slightly shorter of the two (but that's not a rule).

---

Bonus example:

"麦当劳不比肯德基贵"

**"McDonalds isn't any more expensive than KFC."**

The expectation is that if a meal at KFC costs 20元，then a meal at McDonalds could cost 18元 or 22元, and that would be acceptable.

If the McDonalds meal actually cost 10元, well that's a meaningful difference and you'd want to use something else... Like "麦当劳没有肯德基贵."

Hope that helps :)


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### Answer by username_3 on 2016-04-05. Score: 1

in most cases you are right, but in precise context, like academic paper or legal document, they could be the same, both means "he is not taller than you, maybe shorter, maybe the same as you"


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### Answer by username_4 on 2016-04-04. Score: 0

I'm a native Chinese speaker, and the following is only my personal opinion from my experiences. In fact, I've never thought about the difference between “不比”and“没有”.

I think your understanding is correct.

Some possibly interesting things for you:

> 他可不比我。

This means: "he is not similar to me" (it suggests than he is weaker than me in some way).

> 他可没有我。

This means: "he is not in possession of me" which may be improper without context.


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