Let us organize confusing comparative expressions. The four expressions no more than / no less than / not more than / not less than frequently appear on entrance examinations.
Basic Rules
no more than: “only” (a small or disappointing nuance)
“He has no more than 500 yen.” (He has only 500 yen.)
no less than: “as many/much as” (a surprising nuance)
“She earns no less than 1 million yen a month.” (She earns as much as 1 million yen a month.)
not more than: “at most”
not less than: “at least”
Whale construction: A is no more B than C is D (A is no more B than C is D)
“A whale is no more a fish than a horse is.”
There were no more than 10 people at the concert. (There were only 10 people.)
No less than 5,000 people attended the festival. (As many as 5,000 people attended.)
He is no more a genius than I am. (He is no more a genius than I am.)
Points to Note
① Difference between no and not: no more than = only (no expresses complete negation), while not more than = at most (not expresses degree).
② The comparative, the comparative: “The more you read, the more you learn.”
③ no sooner A than B: “B happened as soon as A did.” Past perfect + than + past tense.
- no more than = only
- no less than = as many/much as
- not more than = at most
- not less than = at least
- Whale construction: A is no more B than C is D
Practice
- Translate “She earns only 50,000 yen a month” into English using no more than.
- Translate “The work will take at least one year” into English using not less than.
- Translate the following into Japanese: He is no more honest than a thief.