Compared with… (比起…来)

Structure 比起 + A（来），B + assessment

比起…来 (bǐqǐ… lái) introduces what something is being compared against, putting the focus on the other side: "compared with A…". 比起去年，今年冷多了 = "compared with last year, this year is much colder". The final 来 is optional. Unlike plain 比 (A 比 B…), here A is the reference point and the comment falls on the rest.

Examples

比bǐ起qǐ去qù年nián，今jīn年nián冷lěng多duō了le。
Compared with last year, this year is much colder.
比bǐ起qǐ坐zuò车chē来lái，我wǒ更gèng喜xǐ欢huan走zǒu路lù。
Compared with taking the bus, I prefer to walk.
比bǐ起qǐ他tā来lái，我wǒ差chà远yuǎn了le。
Compared with him, I’m far behind.

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.