[Serie: All About Japanese Particles]
Note: Yori is sometimes displaced by nonstandard yori mo and yori ka.
1. Indicates a comparison: “than.”
吉田さんは小出さんより背が高いです。
Yoshida-san wa Koide-san yori se ga takai desu.
Yoshida is taller than Koide.
ニューヨークより東京の方が、人口が多いです。
Nyūyōku yori Tōkyō no hō ga, jinkō ga ōi desu.
The population of Tokyo is greater than that of New York.
*2. In the form to iu yori: “rather.”
あの人は指導というより、独裁者です。
Ano hito wa shidō-sha to iu yori, dokusai-sha desu.
He is a dictator rather than a leader./ He is more of a dictator than a leader.
A大学の学長は、学者というより政治家だ。
A daigaku no gakuchō wa, gakusha to iu yori seiji-ka da.
The president of A University is more of a politician than a scholar.
*3. Used with interrogative words, indicates that the thing previously mentioned is in the superlative.
この店のフランス料理は、どこよりおいしいと思います。
Kono mise no Furansu-ryōri ưa, doko yori oishii to omoimasu.
I think that the French food at this restaurant is better than anywhere else.
彼は私にプロポーズしたとき、「僕は誰よりも君を愛している」と言ったのよ。
Kare wa watashi ni puropōzu shita toki, “boku wa dare yori mo kimi o aishite iru” to itta no yo.
When he proposed to me, he said, “I love you more than anyone.”
お元気そうで何よりです。
Ogenki sō de nani yori desu.
I’m glad to see you looking so well. (Lit., Your looking well is more than anything.)
*4. Indicates the time or place at which an action begins: “from, at.”
Note: This usage is equivalent to kara (#15, I-1 [time] and I-2 [place]), although yori is more formal and is more commonly used in writing and elevated speech.
3時間より閣議が行われます。
Sanji yori kakugi ga okonawaremasu.
A cabinet meeting will begin at [be held from] three o’clock.
この国境よりむこうが中国です。
Kono kokkyō yori mukō ga Chūgoku desu.
From this [point of the] border on is China./ On the other side of this border is China.
*5. Indicates a place or position from which an action accurs: “from.”
電車がまいりますから、白線より後ろに下がってお待ちください。
Densha ga mairimasu kara, hakusen yori ushiro ni sagatte omachi kudasai.
A train is coming, so please step back from the white line and wait./ A train is arriving. Please wait behind the white line.
私の家は駅より手前にある。
Watashi no ie wa eki yori temae ni aru.
My house is on this side of the station. (Lit., My house is before where the station is.)
*6. Indicates a cause, reason, or motivation: “as a result of.”
先月の市場調査より次のような結果が明らかになった。
Sengetsu no shijō chōsa yori tsugi no yō na kekka ga akiraka ni natta.
As a result of last month’s market research, the following results have come to light.
河川の温泉より伝染病が発生した。
Kasen no osen yori densen-byō ga hassei shita.
Infectious diseases have broken out as a result of [due to] polluted rivers.
*7. In the form yori hoka nai, indicates a limiting of choices to one only: “there is nothing else but.”
ここまでやったんですから、終わりまでやるよりほかないでしょう。
Koko made yatta-n desu kara, owari made yaru yori hoka nai deshō.
Since we’ve done this much, there is nothing else to do but finish it. / Since we’ve come this far, we’ll just have to finish it.
停電だから、電気がつくまで待っているよりほかない。
Teiden da kara, denki ga tsuku made matte iru yori hoka nai.
Because it’s power failure, there is nothing else to do but wait till the electricity comes on.
– Source: All about particles – A handbook of Japanese function words –
