Beginner · Unit 7 · B60

To hơn, nhỏ hơn — Comparing size

Use adjective + hơn to ask for bigger or smaller items, distinguish to/lớn and nhỏ, and add practical clothing words such as rộng, chật, dài and ngắn.

Beginner Unit 7 Lesson 60 of 107

What you will learn

You already used hơn with price and people. Now the same Vietnamese comparison pattern helps you choose size:

to hơn — bigger;
nhỏ hơn — smaller.

1. Adjective + hơn

to hơn — bigger
nhỏ hơn — smaller
dài hơn — longer
ngắn hơn — shorter
rộng hơn — wider/looser

Vietnamese does not change the adjective form. Hơn carries the comparative relation.

2. Cho tôi cái to hơn

Cho tôi cái to hơn. — Give me/show me the bigger one.
Cho em cái nhỏ hơn.
Có cái nào lớn hơn không?

3. To and lớn

Both to and lớn can express largeness, but they are not interchangeable in every expression.

cái túi to — a big bag
cỡ lớn — large size
thành phố lớn — big/major city

For beginners, learn common phrase patterns instead of forcing a universal to = big, lớn = large rule.

4. Nhỏ and bé

Nhỏ is a broadly useful word for small. Bé also means small/little and can refer to a child in other contexts.

cái nhỏ hơn
phòng nhỏ
bé — small/little; child in some noun/address uses

5. Cỡ — size

Cỡ nào? — Which size?
Cỡ lớn. — Large size.
Có cỡ nhỏ hơn không?

Modern clothing shops may also use size directly: size M, size L. Cỡ remains useful Vietnamese vocabulary.

6. Clothing: rộng and chật

Áo này rộng quá. — This shirt is too/very loose.
Áo này chật. — This shirt is tight.
Có cái rộng hơn không?
Cho em cỡ lớn hơn.

A garment being “too small” may be better expressed as chật when the real problem is fit.

7. Dài and ngắn

Quần này dài quá. — These pants are too/very long.
Có cái ngắn hơn không?

Size is not one dimension. Vietnamese chooses the adjective that describes the actual problem.

8. A short clothing-shop conversation

Khách: Chị ơi, áo này hơi chật.

Người bán: Em muốn cỡ lớn hơn hả?

Khách: Dạ. Có cỡ lớn hơn không chị?

Người bán: Có. Em thử cái này đi.

Khách: Cái này vừa.

9. Vừa — fits/is just right

Here vừa does not mean “reasonable price”. It means the fit/size is right:

Áo này vừa. — This shirt fits.
Cỡ này vừa. — This size fits/is right.

This demonstrates why Vietnamese words must be learned in constructions and contexts.

10. Compare two explicit items

Cái này to hơn cái kia.
Áo đen rộng hơn áo trắng.
Cỡ L lớn hơn cỡ M.

11. Useful vocabulary

to — big/large
lớn — large/big, context-dependent
nhỏ — small
bé — small/little; child in other uses
cỡ — size
rộng — wide/loose
chật — tight/cramped
dài — long
ngắn — short
vừa — fit/just right, in this context

12. Vietnam in real life

Clothing labels may use Vietnamese terms, international S/M/L/XL sizes or seller-specific measurements. A printed size is not always enough; practical shopping language such as rộng/chật/dài/ngắn/vừa helps describe the actual fit.

13. Common beginner mistakes

Changing the adjective itself as though Vietnamese formed English-style comparatives.
Using only to/nhỏ when the real issue is rộng/chật or dài/ngắn.
Assuming vừa has the same meaning in every lesson.
Assuming to and lớn are perfectly interchangeable.

Try it

Ask for a bigger one.
Ask whether there is a smaller size.
Say a shirt is too tight.
Say that the new one fits.
Compare two explicit items with hơn.

Quick recap

Vietnamese comparison keeps the adjective unchanged and adds hơn. For real shopping, choose the precise dimension: to/nhỏ, rộng/chật, dài/ngắn, and use vừa when the fit is right.

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