Two Notes on the Chinese bi Comparatives

Abstract

Instead of jumping into the debate on whether the Chinese bi comparative is a clausal or a phrasal comparative, I argue for the following two points concerning this construction. First, the marker bi is not a degree word; instead, it functions to introduce the standard and forms a pair of correlative words with a degree adverb with the meaning of comparison. Second, the standard introduced by bi cannot be elements that can be modified by a degree adverb; otherwise, a conflict between two dimensions of comparison will occur.