没有…那么【méiyǒu … nàme】

méi yǒu没有 between two things says the first falls short of the second: A 没有 B + adjective, "A is not as … as B". It is the usual negative of a 比 comparison.

With a verb, the comparison goes on a 得 complement.

As a question, yǒu méi yǒu有没有 takes the place of 没有.

那么 and 这么

Adding nà me那幺 or zhè me这幺 before the adjective marks B as the standard being fallen short of. The meaning is the same; the sentence is clearer.

那么 points at something distant or already mentioned, 这么 at something present.

没有 or 不比

没有 reverses the comparison: A is less. bù bǐ不比 only denies that A is more, leaving the two possibly equal.

Common mistake

The adjective stays bare, as it does after 比: no 很, no 太.

• × 我没有他很高 → 我没有他高