Quick Sentence Check Please

[bmw_f1_power]

Hello,

I'm working on a short project, about different forms of transportation. It doesn't need to be very advanced, but could someone let me know if this sentence is good:

很多欧洲人有汽车，可是他们开车比美国人较少。

I am trying to say "Many Europeans have cars, but they drive less than Americans."

Mainly I want to know if the comparison is right. The verb 'to drive' comes between the first subject and 比, and 较少 meaning 'less' comes at the end?

[xuechengfeng]

wait for the experts, but i would say..

很多欧洲人开汽车，可是他们开的车比美国人开的少。

[roddy]

I think it might be more usual to use just 少 rather than 较少 - in effect you are saying 'compared to Americans they drive them relatively less' - you have two comparisons (compared and relative (to something) which I don't think is necessary. Also

很多欧洲人有汽车，可是他们开得比美国人较少

so that you aren't repeating the noun - ie, instead of saying

Many Europeans have cars, but they drive cars less than Americans

, you say

Many Europeans have cars, but they drive （them） less Americans.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your sentence though - I'm just being picky (and possibly wrong) because I've got jetlag and am awake at 6am.

[Quest]

I would say 很多欧洲人有汽车, 但比起美国人他们较少开车.

[bmw_f1_power]

Roddy, thanks for the note about 得, I forgot that that word should come with sentences comparing actions. Also I will take out 较.

很多欧洲人有汽车，可是他们开得比美国人少。

xuechengfeng, is your sentence supposed to mean:

"Many Europeans ride the bus because they drive their cars less than Americans drive theirs?"

If so I know 可是 would change to 因为, but in this case does 的 alone mean 'their', so I wouldn't have to say 他们开他们的车?

谢谢

[xuechengfeng]

hmmm , not to infringe on this good mans thread, but ...

what is the difference between

得

的

[xuechengfeng]

sorry, at first i thought when you said 汽车 you were talking about riding the bus, but then i realized my mistake.

and i guess i'm lost on the use of 的/得 in this context.

对不起

[Quest]

的 --- possesive / adjective 王太太的红色的衣服

地 --- adverb 万先生高兴地说。 我认真地学。

得 --- degree adverb 我写得比你好看。我学得比你认真。我开车开得比你好。

again!

There are differences between

我高兴的跳 (My happy jump)

我高兴地跳起来 (I jump happily)

and

我高兴得跳了起来 (I am so happy that I jump)

So you should not mix up the three.

[高可文]

I would write "可是他們開車開的比美國人少" for the second part.

About all the de's: while you should be careful to use the right ones, be aware that often the Chinese themselves can sometimes be confused (especially in early 白話 literature).

[skylee]

I think both Quest's and 高可文's versions are good.

[Guest Yau]

For me, simple is king.

很多欧洲人有汽车，可是他们开车比美国人较少。

很多欧洲人有汽车，但他们开车比美国人[omitted]少。

I think the original sentence is good indeed.

[stevenxie1982]

I think it should be"很多欧洲人有汽车，可是他们开得比美国人少。"

Personaly, I don't think it's a good idea to make up sentences through the grammar, for they sound weird. What the sentence should be depends on how most of the native speakers say it.

At the very beginning, you should be a slave of the language. You obey the rules of the language. When you have reached a high level, you become a general of it. Then you can use the language freely.

I think it would be a good idea to recite many nice 文章 of the language.