Earlier I discussed how to compare people, places, and things.  What about comparing ideas?

Take a look at the first example, which follows from the previous illustrations of how to make comparisons using 比 (bi3).

Swimming’s more fun than dancing.

游泳比跳舞好玩 (you2yong3 bi3 tiao4wu3 hao3wan2 – lit. swimming [compare] dancing fun)
To form a negative comparison, we would use the following structure: 跳舞没有游泳好玩 (tiao4wu3 mei2you3 you2yong3 hao3wan2 – lit. dancing [doesn’t have] swimming fun)

How do we compare ideas and form the comparison into a suggestion?  One method is below:

与其跳舞不如游泳. yu3qi2tiao4wu3 bu4ru2 you2yong – swimming is better than dancing.  Note that the activity which is worse is located at the front of the sentence, similar to English constructions like  “Don’t ___ when you can ____/ Why ___when you can ____?”

Another way to set up the comparison of an action or idea is to use the 不如 construction by itself, see below:
跳舞不如游泳 tiao4wu3 bu4ru2 you2yong3- lit. dancing not as good as swimming.

If you can put these into practice, your communicative ability in Chinese will reach yet another level!