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This week, we answer a question from our reader Nyinye, who says:
本周，我们回答读者尼恩提出的一个问题，尼恩说：
Hi, I keep getting confused with the words "then" and "than." I know that "than" is used in comparisons but in some cases used as a conjunction. I'm confused. -Nyinye
你好，我一直都会把“then”和“than” 搞混。我知道“than”用于比较，但在某些情况下它也会用作连词。我很困惑。
Hello Nyinye,
你好，尼恩，
It is easy confuse the words "then" and "than."
“then”和“than”这两个单词很容易混淆。
They look and sound very similar. And even some native English speakers find them troublesome.
它们看起来以及听起来都非常相似。甚至一些以英语为母语的人也觉得它们很烦人。
So here is the quickest way to remember:
下面是把它们记住的最快方法：
"Then" (spelled t-h-e-n) is used for time.
拼写为“t-h-e-n”的“then”用来表示时间。
"Than" (spelled t-h-a-n) is used in comparisons.
拼写为“t-h-a-n”的“than”用于比较。
Let's discuss each word in detail.
让我们详细讨论一下这两个单词。
We use "than" to make comparisons between two or more people or things. Listen to some examples:
我们用“than”来在两个或多个人或事物之间进行比较。听一些例子：
She can run faster than the other girls.
她比其他女孩跑得快。
I would rather order food than cook again.
我宁愿叫外卖也不愿再做饭。
The first example is a simple and clear comparison. The second may be a little less clear. But it does compare two choices: ordering food and cooking.
第一个例子是一个简单明了的比较。第二个例子可能就没那么清楚了。但它确实比较了两种选择：叫外卖和做饭。
What may cause some people trouble are expressions like "no later than" and "no earlier than."
可能会给一些人造成麻烦的是像“不迟于”和“不早于”这样的表达。
These expressions involve time but still use the word "than." Here is an example:
这些表达会涉及到时间，但仍使用“than”这个词。下面是一个例子：
I will be home no later than 5 o'clock.
我将不迟于五点钟到家。
It means the person will be back at 5 o'clock or sometime before 5 o'clock.
它是指这个人会在五点钟或五点钟之前的某个时刻回来。
Notice use of the comparative adjective "later" before the word "than."
注意对“than”前面的形容词比较级“later”的使用。
Now, let's discuss "then."
现在，让我们讨论一下“then”这个单词。
"Then" is used to talk about something as it relates to time.
“Then”被用来谈论与时间有关的事物。
We use it to say what happened next or happens next. Listen to some examples:
我们用它来表达接下来发生了什么或接下来会发生什么。听一些例子：
Turn left after the bridge and then follow the signs.
过了桥之后向左转，然后跟着指示牌走。
We finished cleaning. Then we played a game.
我们打扫完了。然后我们玩了一个游戏。
We also use "then" in conditional sentences that have the form if...then, like this:
我们也会在含有“if…then”这种形式的条件句中使用“then”，就像这样：
If it rains, (then) we will go somewhere else.
如果下雨，我们就到别的地方去。
Note that in if...then sentences, the word "then" is not required.
注意，在“if…then”条件句中，“then”不是必需的。
And that's Ask a Teacher.
以上就是本期《名师答疑》的全部内容。
I'm Alice Bryant.
我是爱丽丝·布莱恩特。
