Jisho.org Forum

I would say "パリはモスクワより南のほうにある。", but I don't know if your translation is incorrect or not.

Would it help if you changed the original sentence to: Paris is further to the south than Moskow (which makes more sense, imo)?

In which case I think it would be: パリはモスクワより南に遠い. (:

1) Sorry to nitpick but it's spelled "Moscow" in English.
2)This case is obvious since everyone knows those 2 capitals, but you might want to learn how to say "at a lower / higher longitude" if talking about 2 lesser known places.

Hmm I should look up how to say that myself! :-P I haven't learned those words yet haha
You might have to use the word 低い though, then you've got your adjective :^)

Posted By: paulusmaximus

[p]1) Sorry to nitpick but it's spelled "Moscow" in English.

2)This case is obvious since everyone knows those 2 capitals, but you might want to learn how to say "at a lower / higher longitude" if talking about 2 lesser known places.[/p][p]Hmm I should look up how to say that myself! :-P I haven't learned those words yet haha
You might have to use the word 低い though, then you've got your adjective :^)[/p]

低い can't be used since that would mean Paris is lower into the ground than Moscow... like if Paris was built closer to the earths core.

Or actually, it would just mean that Paris is shorter than Moscow. As in that all of paris buildings are shorter than all of Moscows buildings... or something.

Who knows, in any case, it's wrong.

Yeah bro, that's why I said I didn't know. I was directly translating from English. We say "Low longitude" because longitude is measured using numbers.
A cartographer would probably correct me saying that it refers to an angle measured in degrees and another adjective should be used. :-P
I searched for sentences on Denshi Jisho about longitude but didn't find any describing the size of the number (it appeared that the original poster was concerned about using an adjective).
It was just a suggestion that there are other ways to describe positions. I wasn't offering anything as "correct" or "incorrect."
低い is also used for abstract ideas is it not? Like 低脂肪 written on milk. It doesn't mean that the fat in the milk is all collected at the bottom of the carton.

OK I looked it up. Actually what I should have written was "Latitude." Longitude is the vertical lines on the globe but when you measure you go horizontally, likewise latitude is the horizontal lines but when measuring you go vertically. According to the 漢字字典 I have, high latitude = 高緯度 （こういど）　low latitude = 低緯度　（ていいど）.
Those are nouns though. A quick google search revealed 緯度が低い as an alternate kind of adjective form for "low latitude." I've seen the same pattern with　高カロリー vs. カロリーが高い. I don't know if it's grammatically correct according to a 国語 teacher, but it's out there! Enjoy!

I see, I didn't realize you were talking about latitudes/longitudes specifically with the 低い. Like you, I've never seen those words used in Japanese so I have no idea how you would say that. However, I think it's pretty safe to assume that in Japanese, saying "Paris is on a lower latitude than Moscow" sounds very odd in a normal conversation and will more like news or research.

When I came across this subject with my Japanese teacher, she didn't use latitude, just north and south. I would be inclined to say that Tobb's way is more natural using 北の方 etc.

Posted By: Tobberoth

[p]I see, I didn't realize you were talking about latitudes/longitudes specifically with the 低い. Like you, I've never seen those words used in Japanese so I have no idea how you would say that. However, I think it's pretty safe to assume that in Japanese, saying "Paris is on a lower latitude than Moscow" sounds very odd in a normal conversation and will more like news or research.[/p]

I request that my posts be read more carefully before being called "wrong." I don't feel it creates a comfortable environment for discussion. I mostly just post my experiences and guesses. I'm not some soup-nazi of Japanese or anything. :-D

My German teacher in high school always used latitude to describe where parts of the USA were in relation to Germany. I didn't feel like it was rocket science or anything to say "latitudinally lower." Reading maps is taught in the junior high schools I visit here in Japan (although I didn't always listen in Junior High haha. I mixed up longitude and latitude the other day! :-P).

But yeah, I often struggle with what's "natural" vs. what's more scientific. Now that I've looked up those words I can adjust my conversation depending on whom I'm talking to.
:-D

That still doesn't answer our question about using より with a noun. BUT! I did remember something. When the Japanese teachers of English teach comparatives in the 2nd grade of junior high school, they (and their worksheets, printed by some education company) often use the word 年上 to express "older." Like マリさんは、ユキさんより年上です。
According to denshi jisho, 年上 is both a noun and a no-adjective　:-/ hmmm so which one is it in that sentence?

Actually, hey I can just ask a 国語 teacher tomorrow. I'll report my findings :^)

OK, I asked a 国語 teacher (who also has a junior high English teaching certificate) about the original sentence パリはモスクワより南です。
She said it was grammatically sound. I specifically inquired about using nouns with より and she said that was all right.
In order to make the sentence more polite she suggested パリはモスクワより南にあります (quite similar to what Tobberoth offered). I asked about using ほう and she said it wasn't
necessary, but certainly sounds natural. As expected, using latitude to describe a location sounded more "scientific" to her but she said it would be understood of course.

I'm a geek who majored in Computer Science so I think I'll use the latitude / longitude thing when I speak to adults, and resort to cardinal directions if they don't get it :-D
One's way of speaking does reflect one's personality in a way. Recently, while talking to the teacher who sits across from me, one of my 1st grade jr. high students said 諸般の事情で instead of いろいろ or some other phrase. Since it sounds so "grown up," it really surprised all the teachers in the staff room! That kid is pretty nerdy though, and one of my most enthusiastic English students! :^)

So really it appears Frankquack had nothing to worry about :^) That is..... unless the 国語 teacher is wrong ........huhhhh!!!!! :-0

Anyway,　勉強になった！ :-D