French Comparatives and Superlatives

When learning French, it’s essential to know how to compare things and express extremes. Whether you’re describing something as bigger, better, or the best, using the comparative and superlative forms will help you express these ideas clearly. This guide will walk you through the rules and examples of comparatives and superlatives in French.

1. The Comparative Form

The comparative is used to compare two people, things, or ideas. In French, you can compare by using plus (more), moins (less), or aussi (as) followed by an adjective or adverb.

Structure:

• plus + adjective/adverb + que (more … than)
• moins + adjective/adverb + que (less … than)
• aussi + adjective/adverb + que (as … as)

Examples:

• Elle est plus grande que son frère. (She is taller than her brother.)
• Ce livre est moins intéressant que l’autre. (This book is less interesting than the other one.)
• Il est aussi rapide que toi. (He is as fast as you.)

Note: The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes. For example: grande (feminine, singular) vs. grands (masculine, plural).

2. The Superlative Form

The superlative is used to express the highest degree of a quality, often translated as “the most” or “the least.” In French, the superlative is formed using le/la/les plus (the most) or le/la/les moins (the least), followed by an adjective.

Structure:

• le/la/les plus + adjective (the most …)
• le/la/les moins + adjective (the least …)

Examples:

• C’est la ville la plus belle. (It’s the most beautiful city.)
• Il est l’homme le moins organisé. (He is the least organized man.)
• Les enfants les plus intelligents sont souvent curieux. (The smartest children are often curious.)

Note: Like in the comparative form, the adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number.

3. Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. The most common examples are bon (good) and mauvais (bad).

Bon (Good):

• Comparative: meilleur (better)
  • Example: Ce restaurant est meilleur que l’autre. (This restaurant is better than the other one.)
• Superlative: le meilleur (the best)
  • Example: C’est le meilleur film. (It’s the best movie.)

Mauvais (Bad):

• Comparative: pire or plus mauvais (worse)
  • Example: Cette situation est pire que la précédente. (This situation is worse than the previous one.)
• Superlative: le pire (the worst)
  • Example: C’est la pire journée. (It’s the worst day.)

Bien (Well):

• Comparative: mieux (better)
  • Example: Il travaille mieux que moi. (He works better than I do.)
• Superlative: le mieux (the best)
  • Example: Elle danse le mieux. (She dances the best.)

4. Comparing Quantities

In French, you can also use comparatives to compare quantities. The words used to express this are similar to those used with adjectives.

Structure:

• plus de + noun + que (more … than)
• moins de + noun + que (less … than)
• autant de + noun + que (as much … as)

Examples:

• J’ai plus de travail que toi. (I have more work than you.)
• Il mange moins de pain que moi. (He eats less bread than I do.)
• Elle a autant d’amis que son frère. (She has as many friends as her brother.)

Comparison Table: Common Comparatives and Superlatives

5. Important Notes on Usage

1. Agreement of Adjectives:
   Always remember that adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. For example:
   • Elle est plus petite que sa sœur. (She is smaller than her sister.)
   • Ils sont les plus forts de l’équipe. (They are the strongest in the team.)
2. Definite Articles in Superlatives:
   In superlatives, the definite article (le, la, les) must match the noun. For example:
   • C’est la meilleure solution. (This is the best solution.)
   • Il est le plus intelligent. (He is the smartest.)
3. Irregular Forms:
   Pay special attention to irregular forms like meilleur and pire, as these are exceptions and do not follow the usual rules.

Additional Examples for Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparative Examples:

1. Elle est plus gentille que moi.
   (She is kinder than me.)
2. Ce film est moins intéressant que celui d’hier.
   (This movie is less interesting than the one from yesterday.)
3. Ils sont aussi intelligents que leurs parents.
   (They are as smart as their parents.)
4. Mon chat est plus rapide que ton chien.
   (My cat is faster than your dog.)
5. Cette maison est moins chère que l’autre.
   (This house is less expensive than the other one.)
6. Mon frère est plus grand que moi.
   (My brother is taller than me.)
7. Elle parle français mieux que moi.
   (She speaks French better than me.)
8. Je suis plus fatigué aujourd’hui qu’hier.
   (I’m more tired today than yesterday.)
9. Ce tableau est aussi beau que celui du musée.
   (This painting is as beautiful as the one in the museum.)
10. Il est plus drôle que son cousin.
    (He is funnier than his cousin.)
11. Nous avons plus de temps que prévu.
    (We have more time than expected.)
12. Je mange moins de sucre que toi.
    (I eat less sugar than you.)
13. Cette route est plus longue que l’autre.
    (This road is longer than the other.)
14. Mon ordinateur est aussi rapide que le tien.
    (My computer is as fast as yours.)
15. Ces élèves sont moins bruyants que ceux de l’année dernière.
    (These students are less noisy than last year’s.)

Superlative Examples:

1. C’est le meilleur restaurant de la ville.
   (This is the best restaurant in the city.)
2. Elle est la plus intelligente de la classe.
   (She is the smartest in the class.)
3. Ce sont les plus grandes montagnes du pays.
   (These are the tallest mountains in the country.)
4. Mon chat est le plus mignon de tous.
   (My cat is the cutest of all.)
5. C’est la journée la plus froide de l’hiver.
   (This is the coldest day of the winter.)
6. Il est le moins organisé de l’équipe.
   (He is the least organized in the team.)
7. Cette voiture est la plus rapide du monde.
   (This car is the fastest in the world.)
8. Elle est la chanteuse la plus célèbre de France.
   (She is the most famous singer in France.)
9. Ils sont les étudiants les plus sérieux de la promotion.
   (They are the most serious students of the class.)
10. C’est la solution la plus simple à ce problème.
    (This is the simplest solution to this problem.)
11. C’est la maison la plus ancienne du village.
    (This is the oldest house in the village.)
12. C’est le plus mauvais film que j’ai vu.
    (This is the worst movie I’ve ever seen.)
13. Elle est la plus jeune de la famille.
    (She is the youngest in the family.)
14. Ce sont les plus belles fleurs du jardin.
    (These are the most beautiful flowers in the garden.)
15. Il est le plus fort de l’équipe.
    (He is the strongest in the team.)
16. C’est le meilleur acteur du film.
    (He is the best actor in the movie.)
17. Elle est la plus rapide à résoudre ces exercices.
    (She is the fastest at solving these exercises.)
18. C’est le gâteau le moins sucré du menu.
    (This is the least sweet cake on the menu.)
19. C’est la ville la plus touristique du pays.
    (This is the most touristic city in the country.)
20. Ce sont les étudiants les moins motivés.
    (They are the least motivated students.)

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives:

1. Cette soupe est meilleure que celle d’hier.
   (This soup is better than yesterday’s.)
2. C’est le pire jour de la semaine.
   (This is the worst day of the week.)
3. Elle joue mieux au tennis que son frère.
   (She plays tennis better than her brother.)
4. C’est la meilleure solution à ce problème.
   (This is the best solution to this problem.)
5. Ce film est pire que je ne le pensais.
   (This movie is worse than I thought.)
6. Il fait mieux son travail que ses collègues.
   (He does his job better than his colleagues.)
7. C’est le plus petit chien que j’ai jamais vu.
   (This is the smallest dog I’ve ever seen.)
8. Cette situation est pire que la dernière fois.
   (This situation is worse than last time.)
9. Ce gâteau est meilleur que le précédent.
   (This cake is better than the previous one.)
10. C’est le pire repas que j’ai mangé.
    (This is the worst meal I’ve eaten.)