不容错过的史上最全关于then和than的用法

Then vs Than

Then和Than的对比

Then is used to indicate time, whereas than is used to compare two things.

Then用于表示时间，than用于比较两个事物。

Then = time

A sequence of events / next / afterwards

一系列事件

At a specific time

在某个特定时间

Than = compare

Comparative adjective (bigger, smaller, older, younger) + than

比较形容词（大、小、老、小）+than

then vs than

then和than作比较

Then Meaning: what time is it

Then的意思是：现在几点

At that time / at the time you’re talking about (in the past or future).

那时候/你谈论的时候（过去或将来）。

Don’t email me on Saturday, I’ll be in London then. /He’s always talking about the 80s, about how things were better then.

星期六别给我发电子邮件，那时我会在伦敦。/他总是在谈论80年代，谈论当时的情况如何更好。

2. After that, then, afterwards, next.

在那之后，然后，之后，下一个

He came in the front door then started shouting at me! /She played football then rugby. /Let me finish this page, and then I’ll put my book down.

他从前门进来，然后对我大喊大叫！/她先踢足球，然后踢橄榄球。/让我读完这一页，然后把书放下。

Then Usage

Then的用法

By then

到那时为止

The action you’re talking about will happen between now and a specified time in the future.

你所说的行动将发生在现在和未来的特定时间之间。

Call me on Tuesday; I should have news by then. /What will I be doing in 5 years’ time? By then I should have bought a car and been promoted!

星期二给我打电话，到时候我会有消息的。/五年后我会做什么？到那时我应该买辆车而且被提拔了！

Just then

就在那时

At that exact time / suddenly.

就在那个时候/突然。

Just then she pulled into the drive in her new car. /Just then the phone started ringing.

就在这时，她开着她的新车开进了车道。/就在这时电话铃响了。

Back then

那时候

Used to describe specific habits / what life was like at a specified period of time in the past. You should’ve grown up in the 70s – back then you’d never expect someone to drive you to school! /If you think about it we’ve come a long way since the year 2000. Back then hardly anyone had a smart phone!

用来描述特定的习惯/过去某个特定时期的生活是什么样的。你应该在70年代长大的——那时候你根本就不会指望有人开车送你上学！/如果你仔细想想，自2000年以来，我们已经走过了漫长的道路。那时几乎没有人有智能手机！

And then some

而且还远不止此

And more / and plenty more than that / and a lot more – especially when it’s more than is expected. He paid me what he owed me and then some! /She did all the work the boss asked her to do and then some – she was here all night!

还有更多/更多更多/更多-尤其是当它超出预期时。他还了我他欠我的钱，还有一些！/她做了老板让她做的所有工作，还有一些——她整晚都在这里！

Then Idioms

关于Then的俚语

From then on

从那时起

From a specific time in the past to now /an unspecified time in the future – usually permanently. She got promoted and from then on she wouldn’t talk to me any more. /I pulled a muscle playing football and haven’t been able to run from then on.

从过去的某个特定时间到现在/未来的某个未指定的时间-通常是永久性的。她升职了，从此以后再也不和我说话了。/我踢足球时筋疲力尽，从此再也跑不动了。

Then and there

立即

Immediately – at that time and in that place – usually something surprising. When she found out her favourite brand was opposed to fair trade she stopped in the middle of the shopping centre and started taking her clothes off then and there. I told him he was addicted to his phone so he threw it away then and there.

立即-在那个时候和那个地方-通常是一些令人惊讶的事情。当她发现她最喜欢的品牌反对公平交易时，她在购物中心中间停下来，时不时地开始脱衣服。我告诉他他对手机上瘾了，所以他就把它扔了。

Every now and then

时不时地

Sometimes, not often. I see her every now and then, but we never speak to each other. /Every now and then I’ll pop into the shop around the corner to check if they have my favourite cereal in, but they never do.

有时候，不经常。我时不时地会见到她，但我们从不说话。/我时不时会到拐角处的商店看看他们有没有我最喜欢的麦片粥，但从来没有。

Then again

再来一次

On second thoughts, in contrast, on the other hand. She said she’d be here, but then again she always says that and she never comes. /I thought I’d be richer by now, but then again, I keep spending my money on expensive things so it makes sense that I’m not!

相反地，另一方面，我会重新考虑。她说她会来的，但她总是这么说，而且她从来没来过。/我原以为我现在会更富有，但话说回来，我一直把钱花在昂贵的东西上，所以我不这么做是有道理的！

Then has various different uses.

Then有各种不同的用途。

Look at the following examples:

请看以下示例：

AT A TIME IN THE PAST

在过去的某个时候

I used to live here in the 90s and I haven’t been back since then. /Do you remember how much we used to play in this garden? /Yes. We were so carefree then.

我90年代住在这里，从那以后就再也没有回来过。/你还记得我们以前在这个花园里玩过多少吗？/是的。我们那时真是无忧无虑。

NEXT (after something)

下一个（在某事之后）

First, beat the eggs then add the milk. /Sharon spent a few minutes reading, and then went to sleep.

首先，打鸡蛋，然后加入牛奶。/莎伦花了几分钟看书，然后就睡着了。

IF SOMETHING IS TRUE

如果有什么是真的

I can’t stand my new boss. /Then you’ll need to look for a new job. /But I love my job. /Try to talk to him then. /On the other hand, than is mainly used in comparative sentences: She’s younger than me. /I’ve got more books than her. /Our dog is more intelligent than yours.

我受不了我的新老板。/那你就得找份新工作了。/但我热爱我的工作。/试着和他谈谈。/她比我用的比较句主要比我年轻。/我的书比她多。/我们的狗比你的狗聪明。

Than Meaning

Than的含义

If you want to compare two things, you need to use the comparative adjective + than.

如果你想比较两件事，你需要用比较形容词+than。

I’m older than my sister. /My sister is taller than my mum. /My mum is younger than Theresa May. /May is richer than me.England is smaller than the USA. /Portugal is further away than Spain. /Astrophysics is more difficult than A-level physics.[Formal]

我比我姐姐大。/我妹妹比我妈妈高。/我妈妈比特雷莎·梅小。/五月比我。英格兰比美国小/葡萄牙比西班牙远。/天体物理学比高级物理学更难

Than is also used with verbs in the past tense (especially the past perfect) to say one action happened immediately after another. However, this usage is very uncommon, and only with adverbial phrases, so usually, when you’re talking about a sequence of events or time, you should use then. No sooner had she sat down than the cat was in her lap and purring. /Hardly had they got a cat than their mouse problem was solved.

Than也用于过去式的动词（尤其是过去完成时），表示一个动作紧接着发生了另一个动作。然而，这种用法是非常罕见的，而且只用于副词短语，所以通常，当你谈论一系列事件或时间时，你应该使用then。她刚坐下，猫就在她膝上咕噜咕噜地叫着。/他们一有猫，老鼠的问题就解决了。

Than Usage Other (than)

Than的用法之other than

Meaning besides, apart from, except for, only:

意思是除此之外

Other than me, there was no one there. /I didn’t want to do anything other than lie in bed and watch Netflix.

除了我，那里没有人。/除了躺在床上看Netflix，我什么都不想做。

Meaning in addition to:

意思是除了...还有

Have you read any books other than Harry Potter? /Are you studying any languages other than French?

除了哈利波特，你还读过别的书吗？/你学法语以外的其他语言吗？

Rather (than)

而不是

Something is done in place of/ instead of something else:

做某事代替其他事情：

For lunch, I eat out rather than cook at home./ Rather than taking the car to the garage, I fixed it myself. /Why don’t you help rather than just standing there watching?

午餐，我在外面吃饭，而不是在家做饭。/我没有把车开到车库，而是自己修好的。/你为什么不帮忙而不是站在那里看着呢？

More (than)

超过

Greater in extent or degree:

在范围或程度上更大的：

It cost a lot more than I was expecting it to. /It always takes more energy than I expect to get out of bed.

它比我预想的要贵得多。/起床总比我想象的要多。

Less (than)

少于

Smaller in extent or degree:

在范围或程度上更小的：

It surely takes less than 40 minutes for you to get home from here?

你从这里到家肯定不到40分钟？

Only a small amount or not at all:

少量或根本没有：

He was less than proficient in English.

他不太精通英语。

Not any less of a degree of:

一点也不差：

He was no less of a man than his father, even though his father would say otherwise.

他和他父亲一样是个男子汉，尽管他父亲不这么说。

Than Idioms

关于than的俚语

Actions speak louder than words

行动胜于言语

Proverbs about FriendshipWhat someone does is a lot more important than what they say.

关于友谊的谚语一个人所做的比他们说的重要得多。

Person 1: He said he loves me, but he went out with his friends on my birthday instead of spending time with me./Person 2: You know what they say – actions speak louder than words… I think you should break up with him.

人物1：他说他爱我，但他在我生日那天和朋友们出去了，而没有和我在一起。/人2:你知道他们说什么-行动胜于雄辩……我认为你应该和他分手。

More than ever

比以往任何时候都

More now than ever before.

比以往任何时候都多。

Since I saw that documentary on the USA I want to go there more than ever!

自从我看了那部关于美国的纪录片，我比以往任何时候都想去那里！

Eyes bigger than your stomach

眼大肚小

You think you can eat more than you actually manage to.

你认为你可以吃得比你实际能吃的多。

Person 1: I always leave a plate full of food behind when I go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant – it’s terrible! Person 2: You know what your problem is – your eyes are bigger than your stomach!

人1：当我去一家吃得饱的餐馆时，我总是把满满一盘的食物留在身后——这太可怕了！人2：你知道你的问题是什么-你的眼睛比你的胃大！

Rather you than me

不是我而是你

I wouldn’t like to switch places with you / I don’t envy you.

我不想和你调换位置。

Person 1: I have to walk home in the snow now. Person 2: Rather you than me!

人1：我现在得在雪地里走回家了。人2：不是我，而是你！

Can’t see further than the end of your nose

眼里只有自己

To be selfish / self-involved / so wrapped up in your own problems you can’t see anyone else’s.

自私/自私自利/如此专注于自己的问题而看不到别人的问题。

I tried to talk to her about the problems I’m having with my family at the moment but it was a waste of time – she didn’t listen at all then started talking about herself. She can’t see past the end of her own nose.

我试着和她谈谈我现在和家人之间的问题，但那是浪费时间——她根本不听，然后开始谈论自己。她眼里只有自己。

A fate worse than death

比死亡更糟糕的情况

Overdramatic reaction to an unpleasant situation. He invited me to go out with his friends on Saturday but listening to them talk about football for 6 hours would be a fate worse than death.

对不愉快情况的过度兴奋的反应。星期六他邀请我和他的朋友们出去玩，但是听他们谈论足球6个小时，那是一个比死还糟糕的命运。

Q: More Then or More Than?

是more then还是more than?

1. More than means to a great degree or extremely.

在很大程度上或极其重要。

I am more than happy to help you with your homework. /I love you more than anything else in the world. /I am more than a little upset that you lied to me. /It can be used to explain something is over or has surpassed another amount.

我非常乐意帮你做作业。/我爱你胜过世界上任何东西。/你对我撒谎，我有点不安。/它可以用来解释某物已经超过或超过了另一个量。

Synonyms:

症状

too much /extra

太多

I receive more than 30 emails every day. /If I am more than 5 minutes late for work, my boss deducts it from my pay. /My Mum has been a teacher for more than 20 years.

我每天收到30多封电子邮件。/如果我上班迟到超过5分钟，我的老板会从我的工资中扣除。/我妈妈当老师已经20多年了。

2. More then is used to compare the frequency of action in the past and how it relates to the present. Specifically then refers back to the previous statement.

More then用于比较过去行动的频率以及它与现在的关系。具体地说，是指前面的陈述。

When I was at school I didn’t study very much. If I had studied more then, I would probably have a better job now.

我上学的时候不怎么学习。如果我那时多学习，我现在可能会有一份更好的工作。

Then relates to when I was at school

Then是关于我在学校的时候

In the 1970s flared trousers were very popular. They were worn more then than they are now.

在20世纪70年代，喇叭裤很流行。他们那时比现在穿得多。

Then relates to the 1970s

Then是上世纪70年代

More then can be seen together in some situations where it is not used as a single phrase in itself.

在某些情况下，当它本身不作为一个短语使用时，可以一起看到更多。

Examples:

例子

If you would like more, then please help yourself. /If I practiced more, then I would probably improve quicker.

如果你想要更多的话，请自便。/如果我多练习，我可能会进步更快。

Q: Rather Then or Rather Than?

Rather then和Rather than呢？

Rather than implies preference. We use it to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared.

rather than暗示偏好。当两个选择或偏好被比较时，我们用它来更重视一件事。

Examples:

例子

Why do some people spend more time on Facebook rather than Twitter? /I would rather go for a run than go to the gym. /Rather than can be substituted for instead of

为什么有些人花更多的时间在Facebook上而不是Twitter上？/我宁愿去跑步也不愿去健身房。/而不是可以代替代替

Examples:

例子

When she received the news, rather than being pleased, she was angry. /Now Susan has turned 40, rather than settling down, she is about to go travelling for 6 months. /There is no use for rather then. Then is an adverb that specifies time. Rather then is a misinterpretation of rather than, often confused as then and than have similar sounds and spelling.

当她听到这个消息时，她非但不高兴，反而生气了。/现在苏珊已经40岁了，她还没有安定下来，而是要去旅行6个月。/那就没有用了。Then是表示时间的副词。reathern是对than的曲解，常与than和than有相似的发音和拼写。

Q: No Later Then or Than?

No Later Then还是Than呢？

No later than is an adverb phrase. It specifies the outer limit of when something can occur.

“不迟于”是副词短语。它规定了某件事发生的外部限制。

Examples:

例子

You should arrive at the airport no later than 2 hours before check-in /Please reply no later than Monday 31st August /Be home no later than 10 o’clock /No later then can be used as a confirmation of time. It is very informal and colloquial.

您应在办理登机手续前不迟于2小时到达机场/请在8月31日星期一答复/不迟于10点到家/不迟于此时间可作为时间确认。这是非常非正式和口语化。

If we take the example above:

如果我们举上面的例子：

Mum: Be home no later than 10 o’clock

妈妈：不迟于10点回家

Son: All my friends stay out until 10:30

儿子：我所有的朋友都在外面待到10:30

Mum: OK, 10:30. No later then.

妈妈：好的，10:30。不能再晚了。

Q: Other Than or Other Then?

Other Than还是Other Then呢？

Other than is used to mean except or only.

“than”用于表示“except”或“only”。

Examples:

例子

Other than peanuts, I don’t really like nuts. /No-one else can sign the form other than you. /Do you like any other types of cheese, other than camembert? Other then can be used when we make a decision about choosing something based on the information we are given.

除了花生，我真的不喜欢坚果。/除了你，没有人可以在表格上签名。/除了卡门伯特，你还喜欢其他类型的奶酪吗？当我们根据所给的信息做出选择的决定时，可以使用“其他”。

Waiter: I’m sorry sir we are out of seafood.

服务员：对不起，先生，我们的海鲜没有了。

Customer: OK, I’ll choose the other option then.

顾客：好的，那我就选择另一种选择。

Seller: This phone doesn’t have all the features.

卖家：这部手机并没有所有的功能。

Customer: I’ll take the other one then.

顾客：那我就买另一个。

Here, then means in that case (based on that information).

在这里，那么意味着在这种情况下（基于该信息）。

Q: Better Than or Then?

Better Than还是Then?

Better than means superior to. It is used to compare two or more things. Other synonyms include

好于等于优于。它用来比较两个或两个以上的事物。其他同义词包括

to surpass /to overtake /to outperform

超过

Examples:

例子

I’m better than you at sports. In fact, I’m better than everyone in my school. /My new phone has so many cool features. It’s much better than my old one. /They have restocked our school library. It’s much better than before. /Better then refers to something having improved by a certain point in time. As it relates to time, it is positioned at the end of the phrase. /I’m going to make some home improvements. It will be much better then. /It’s John’s birthday party next week. I hope you will feel better then. (relating to health) /They restocked the school library. It was much better then.

我在体育方面比你强。事实上，我比学校里的每个人都好。/我的新手机有很多很酷的功能。比我以前的好多了。/他们已给我们学校图书馆补货。比以前好多了。/Better then是指在某个时间点上有所改进的东西。因为它与时间有关，所以它位于短语的末尾。/我要做些家庭装修。那会好得多。/下周是约翰的生日聚会。我希望到时候你会感觉好些。（与健康有关的）/他们给学校图书馆补货。那时好多了。