In Grade 9 you compared people and things with an adjective: plus grand que (taller than), moins cher que (less expensive than), aussi intéressant que (as interesting as), and you met meilleur (better). Real comparisons go further. When you choose between two summer jobs, two phones or two cities, you compare qualities (plus fatigant), how things are done (plus vite), quantities (plus d'heures, autant d'argent) and actions (elle travaille plus que moi) — and then you pick a winner with a superlative (le meilleur emploi). Each of these uses a slightly different structure, and English often hides the difference: more can be plus, plus de or davantage, and as can be aussi or autant. This lesson lays out every pattern side by side.
| Comparing | More | Less | Equal | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a quality (adjective — it agrees) | plus + adj. + que | moins + adj. + que | aussi + adj. + que | Ma sœur est plus grande que moi. (My sister is taller than me.) |
| a manner (adverb) | plus + adv. + que | moins + adv. + que | aussi + adv. + que | Il court moins vite que son frère. (He runs less fast than his brother.) |
| a quantity (noun) | plus de + noun + que | moins de + noun + que | autant de + noun + que | J'ai autant de cours que toi. (I have as many classes as you.) |
| an action (verb) | verb + plus que | verb + moins que | verb + autant que | Elle travaille plus que moi. (She works more than me.) |
The irregular comparatives
| Base word | Comparative (better / worse) | Superlative (best / worst) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bon, bonne (good — adjective) | meilleur(e)(s) | le / la / les meilleur(e)(s) | Cette tarte est meilleure que l'autre. (This pie is better than the other one.) |
| bien (well — adverb) | mieux | le mieux | Elle chante mieux que moi. (She sings better than me.) |
| mauvais(e) (bad — adjective) | pire or plus mauvais(e) | le / la pire or le / la plus mauvais(e) | Cette idée est pire que la première. (This idea is worse than the first one.) |
| mal (badly — adverb) | plus mal | le plus mal | Je dors plus mal en été. (I sleep worse in summer.) |
Superlatives: the most, the least, the best
- le / la / les + plus or moins + adjective. The article and the adjective both agree with the noun: la plus grande ville, les cours les plus difficiles.
- The adjective keeps its usual position. A BAGS adjective stays before the noun: le plus beau jour (the most beautiful day). Any other adjective stays after it, and the article is repeated: la ville la plus intéressante, l'élève le plus sportif.
- In after a superlative is de, not dans. Toronto est la plus grande ville du Canada. (Toronto is the largest city in Canada.) · C'est la meilleure joueuse de l'équipe.
- With an adverb, the article is always le. C'est Maya qui court le plus vite. (Maya is the one who runs the fastest.)
- With a noun or a verb: le plus de / le moins de + noun, and verb + le plus / le moins: C'est Paul qui a le plus de cartes. · C'est elle qui travaille le plus.
Beyond the basics
- plus de / moins de + a number means more than / less than: Il y a plus de trente personnes. (There are more than thirty people.) · Le billet coûte moins de vingt dollars. Never plus que trente.
- de plus en plus / de moins en moins = more and more / less and less: Il fait de plus en plus chaud. (It's getting hotter and hotter.) With a noun, add de: de moins en moins de temps.
- plus… plus = the more… the more: Plus je pratique, plus je progresse. (The more I practise, the more I improve.)
- Stressed pronouns after que: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles. Il est plus âgé que moi — never que je.
- le même… que = the same… as: J'ai le même sac à dos que toi.
Translation: I can't decide between two summer jobs. At the day camp you work more hours than at the grocery store, so you earn more money. But the grocery store is closer to my place and the schedules are more flexible. At camp the days are more tiring, but they're also a lot more fun: it's the best job for someone who likes kids. My friend Chloé worked at both places. According to her, you learn as much at the grocery store as at camp, but you have a lot less fun! For me the decision is clear: camp is better! The passage uses every pattern: plus d'heures qu' and plus d'argent (quantity), plus flexibles and plus fatigantes (agreeing adjectives), autant… que and beaucoup moins (actions), le meilleur emploi (superlative of bon) and c'est mieux. Beaucoup in front of plus or moins means a lot more / a lot less.
- comes from bon (good)
- describes a noun and agrees: meilleur, meilleure, meilleurs, meilleures
- un meilleur emploi (a better job)
- les meilleures chansons (the best songs)
- comes from bien (well)
- describes a verb and never changes
- Elle joue mieux. (She plays better.)
- C'est lui qui danse le mieux. (He dances the best.)