Comparative and
Superlative
Comparatives
| aussi (adj
or adv) que |
as (adj or adv) as |
| moins (adj
or adv) que |
less (adj or adv)
than |
| plus (adj or
adv) que |
more (adj or adv)
than |
| plus de (noun)
que |
more (noun) than |
| autant de (noun)
que |
as many (noun) as |
| moins de (noun)
que |
less (noun) than |
There are some irregularities
among bon and bien. Bon
is an adjective meaning good,
but plus bon is not used (just
as more good or gooder is not
used in English) so meilleur
is used to mean better. Bien
is an adverb meaning well, but
plus bien is not used either.
Mieux is used instead.
Sample Sentences
| She is taller than
Colette. |
Elle est plus grande
que Colette. |
| I am smarter than
you. |
Je suis plus intelligente
que toi. |
| Peter runs less quickly
than me. |
Pierre court moins
rapide que moi. |
| The kitchen is as
big as the living room. |
La cuisine est aussi
grande que le salon. |
| I have more books
than she. |
J'ai plus de livres
qu'elle. |
| We have as many cars
as he. |
Nous avons autant
de voitures que
lui. |
Verbs can also be
compared with plus/aussi/moins
(+ que):
Il travaille moins
qu'elle. He works
less than she.
Ils dorment plus. They
sleep more.
Superlatives
Simply add le, la or les before
the comparative if you are using
an adjective. With adverbs,
always use le. After a
superlative, de is used
to mean in. If the adjective
follows the noun, the superlative
follows the noun also, surrounding
the adjective.
Sample Sentences
| It's the biggest city
in the world. |
C'est la plus grande
ville du monde. |
| She is the most beautiful
woman in this room. |
Elle est la plus
belle femme de cette
salle. |
| This neighborhood
is the least expensive
in Paris. |
Ce quartier est le
moins cher de Paris. |
| It's the most dreaded
punishment in the world. |
C'est la punition
la plus redoutable
du monde. |
| She works the most
courageously of everyone. |
Elle travaille le
plus courageusement
de tous. |
In French, you don't
use any articles, as compared
to English:
Plus ça change,
plus c'est la même chose.
The more
things change, the more
they stay the same.
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