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Mandarin Comparisons — 比

Ninth graders learn to compare in Mandarin with 比 (bǐ - compared to) — 小华比小明高 (Xiǎo Huá is taller than Xiǎo Míng) — plus 最 (zuì - most). They order five friends from shortest to tallest.

Grade 9Bǐjiào55 minutes1 class periodACTFL / CommunicativeExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Compare with 比.
  • ✓Use 最 (most).
  • ✓Order by height.
  • ✓Make comparisons.
Essential Question

Who is taller? To compare in Mandarin, use 比 (bǐ). Can you order five friends from shortest to tallest?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order Them by Height

Project this and have students order the friends from shortest to tallest using the 比 sentences.

📏 Order the friends — shortest to tallest!Try it
Tap the shortest first!
The Lesson · Communicative Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Who Is Taller?

6 min

To compare in Mandarin, use 比 — can you order five friends by height?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Compare two students.
  • Show A比B高.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Bǐjiào

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present A比B高.
  • Note 最 = most.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Note it.
  • Repeat.
3

Practice — Order It

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order Them by Height.
  • Put them in order.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

15 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Compare two things.
  • Say “…最高.”
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare.
  • Say it.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Make a 比 sentence.
  • Say who is tallest.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate-Low).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand comparisons.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: compare things.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare comparison structures.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to logic.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Height picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A 比 B ___.”
  • Line students up.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with two people.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Compare by other traits.
  • Use 一样 (the same).
  • Write comparisons.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📏Height cards
  • 💻Order Them by Height
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

比较 (bǐjiào)to compare比 (bǐ)compared to高 (gāo)tall矮 (ǎi)short最 (zuì)most更 (gèng)more一样 (yīyàng)the same人 (rén)person
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
How do you say “A is taller than B” in Mandarin?
A 比 B 高 (A bǐ B gāo).
QUESTION 2
What does 最 (zuì) mean?
Most — e.g. 最高 = tallest.
QUESTION 3
In the height order, who came FIRST?
The shortest person (最矮).

Reflect: 比.

Have students make one comparison in Mandarin using 比 (like “我比你高” — I’m taller than you). A printable comparisons sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Mandarin Comparisons (比 Bǐ)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Mandarin Comparisons (比 Bǐ)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Mandarin Comparisons (比 Bǐ)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: 一样 (yīyàng), 人 (rén), 更 (gèng), 最 (zuì), 比 (bǐ), 比较 (bǐjiào), 矮 (ǎi), 高 (gāo)
  1. most
  2. person
  3. tall
  4. short
  5. the same
  6. compared to
  7. to compare
  8. more

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. How do you say “A is taller than B” in Mandarin?
  2. What does 最 (zuì) mean?
  3. In the height order, who came FIRST?
Answer key — Part A: 1) 最 (zuì) · 2) 人 (rén) · 3) 高 (gāo) · 4) 矮 (ǎi) · 5) 一样 (yīyàng) · 6) 比 (bǐ) · 7) 比较 (bǐjiào) · 8) 更 (gèng)
Part B: 1) A 比 B 高 (A bǐ B gāo). 2) Most — e.g. 最高 = tallest. 3) The shortest person (最矮).