Comparatives: A comparative (un comparatif) lets you say one thing is more, less or the same as another: Paris est plus grand que Lyon (Paris is bigger than Lyon).
One step further: the superlative: The superlative (le superlatif) goes one step further to the most / the least: Paris est la plus grande ville de France (Paris is the biggest city in France).
This micro covers all three
- more than (plus … que)
- less than (moins … que)
- as … as (aussi … que)
- le comparatif
- comparative — compares two things (plus / moins / aussi)
- le superlatif
- superlative — the most/least of a group (le plus … de)
- plus … que
- more … than — superiority: plus grand que
- moins … que
- less … than — inferiority: moins cher que
- aussi … que
- as … as — equality of a quality: aussi grand que
- plus de / autant de … que
- more / as much (many) … than — equality of a quantity of nouns: autant de livres que
Why they matter: Comparatives let you give opinions and reasons — a key skill in the speaking and writing tasks. Je préfère le cinéma parce que c'est plus intéressant que la télé sounds far stronger than a flat statement, and shows the examiner you can build an argument.
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More, less, the same — and the irregulars: Build a comparative around an adjective: plus / moins + adjectif + que for more/less than, and aussi + adjectif + que for as … as.
The other rules
- The adjective AGREES with the noun (plus grand → plus grande → plus grands).
- To compare a quantity of nouns use plus de / moins de / autant de + nom + que.
- A few words are irregular: bon → meilleur, bien → mieux, mauvais → pire.
- The superlative is le / la / les + plus (ou moins) + adjectif + de.
| Structure | Sens | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| plus + adj + que | more … than | plus grand que (taller than) |
| moins + adj + que | less … than | moins cher que (cheaper than) |
| aussi + adj + que | as … as (quality) | aussi grand que (as tall as) |
| plus / moins / autant de + nom + que | more / less / as much (many) … than | autant de livres que (as many books as) |
| le / la / les plus + adj + de | the most … of/in | le plus grand de la classe (the tallest in the class) |
Les comparatifs irréguliers
- bon (good, adjective) → meilleur (better) — Ce livre est meilleur que l'autre. (agrees: meilleure / meilleurs / meilleures)
- bien (well, adverb) → mieux (better) — Elle chante mieux que moi. (mieux is invariable — never mieuxs)
- mauvais (bad) → pire or plus mauvais (worse) — Aujourd'hui le temps est pire qu'hier.
meilleur for the adjective, mieux for the adverb: Both translate as better, but they are not interchangeable. Use meilleur (an adjective) to describe a noun: une meilleure note (a better mark). Use mieux (an adverb) to describe a verb / how you do something: tu écris mieux (you write better).
Never plus bon: Never say plus bon or plus bien — the irregular replaces plus.
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What they're for: Reach for a comparative whenever you weigh two things against each other or pick out the best/worst of a group.
Two things to notice: que (or qu' before a vowel) stays the same for more / less / as, and the adjective agrees with what it describes.
Les emplois des comparatifs
- More than — Le train est plus rapide que le bus. (The train is faster than the bus.)
- Less than — Cette chemise est moins chère que l'autre. (This shirt is cheaper than the other one.)
- As … as (equality) — Je suis aussi travailleur que mon camarade. (I'm as hard-working as my classmate.)
- As much / many as — J'ai autant d'amis que toi. (I have as many friends as you.)
- The most / least — C'est le plus intéressant de tous les livres. (It's the most interesting of all the books.)
de before a noun quantity, de for the superlative group: Two de rules to keep apart: comparing a quantity of nouns uses plus de / moins de / autant de (plus de livres que); and the group after a superlative also takes de (le meilleur de la classe = the best in the class).
No de with an adjective: With an adjective, though, there's no de: plus grand que.
A comparison, sentence by sentence: Here's a short paragraph comparing two brothers, built one sentence at a time. Read it for the meaning, then tap Voir la traduction for the English or the audio button to hear it.
Spot each structure
- plus / moins … que
- aussi / autant … que
- the irregulars meilleur (adjective) and mieux (adverb)
- a superlative to finish
Les comparatifs en action
Une comparaison, phrase par phrase
- Mon frère Paul est plus grand que moi, mais je suis plus rapide que lui.
- Il travaille autant que moi, donc nous sommes aussi sérieux l'un que l'autre.
- Au foot, Paul est meilleur que moi : il joue vraiment bien.
- En revanche, je cuisine mieux que lui et j'ai plus de patience que mon frère.
- En résumé, Paul est le plus sportif de la famille et moi je suis le plus calme.
Steal this for your writing: Notice the mix: plus … que for differences, aussi / autant … que for things that are equal, an irregular (meilleur / mieux) and a superlatif to round off. Stack two or three of these and your answer instantly sounds more developed — and remember the adjective agrees.
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The slips anglophone learners make: Four traps cost most marks. Compare the right version with the typical mistake.
The four traps
- Writing plus bon instead of the irregular meilleur (or plus bien instead of mieux).
- Mixing up meilleur (adjective, describes a noun) and mieux (adverb, describes a verb).
- Using aussi with a noun where you need autant de (aussi livres is wrong → autant de livres is right).
- Forgetting the adjective agreement (une fille plus grand is wrong → plus grande is right).
Correct
- Ce livre est meilleur que l'autre.
- Tu nages mieux que moi.
- J'ai autant d'amis que toi.
- Ma sœur est plus grande que moi.
Erreur fréquente
- Ce livre est plus bon que l'autre.
- Tu nages plus bien que moi.
- J'ai aussi amis que toi.
- Ma sœur est plus grand que moi.
Three quick checks: irregulars solo, agree the adjective, de before nouns
- With bon / bien use the single word meilleur / mieux — never plus bon / plus bien; pick meilleur for a noun, mieux for a verb.
- Make the adjective agree with the noun it describes (plus grande).
- Comparing a quantity of nouns? Use autant de / plus de / moins de (autant de livres), not aussi.