- Master comparatives of inequality using más/menos... que
- Form comparatives of equality with tan... como
- Create superlatives to express "the most" or "the least"
- Learn irregular comparative forms: mejor, peor, mayor, menor
- Compare nouns and actions using más/menos que
- Apply correct gender and number agreement in comparisons
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Comparisons: More, Less, The Most
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
Comparisons allow you to express relationships between people, things, or actions. In Spanish, you can say something is "taller than," "as fast as," or "the best" using specific comparison structures.
🔍 Three Types of Comparisons
Inequality (More/Less)
María es más alta que Juan
Maria is taller than Juan
María es más alta que Juan
Maria is taller than Juan
Equality (As... As)
Pedro es tan rápido como Ana
Pedro is as fast as Ana
Pedro es tan rápido como Ana
Pedro is as fast as Ana
Superlative (The Most/Least)
Esta es la casa más grande
This is the biggest house
Esta es la casa más grande
This is the biggest house
Understanding comparisons is essential for describing differences, making recommendations, and expressing preferences in everyday Spanish conversation.
Structure & Formation
📊 Comparatives of Inequality: More/Less Than
Use más... que (more... than) or menos... que (less... than) to show that one thing has more or less of a quality than another.
Formula:
More Than
subject + más + adjective + que
Juan es más alto que Pedro
Juan is taller than Pedro
Less Than
subject + menos + adjective + que
Este libro es menos interesante que ese
This book is less interesting than that one
💡 Remember: The adjective must agree in gender and number with the subject being described:Las chicas son más altas que los chicos
⚖️ Comparatives of Equality: As... As
Use tan... como to express that two things are equal in some quality.
Formula:
subject + tan + adjective + como
Ana es tan inteligente como Luis
Ana is as intelligent as Luis
Mi coche es tan rápido como el tuyo
My car is as fast as yours
Ella es tan alta como su hermana
She is as tall as her sister
🏆 Superlatives: The Most/The Least
Use superlatives to say something is "the most" or "the least" of a group. In Spanish, you need the definite article (el, la, los, las) before más or menos.
Formula:
el/la/los/las + (noun) + más/menos + adjective (+ de)
Es el estudiante más inteligente de la clase
He is the most intelligent student in the class
⚠️ Important Notes:
- The article must match the gender and number of the noun
- Use de (not "que") to mean "in" or "of": el más alto de la clase
- The adjective comes after más/menos in superlatives
Es la ciudad más grande del país
It's the biggest city in the country
Son los libros menos interesantes de la biblioteca
They're the least interesting books in the library
⭐ Irregular Comparative Forms
Four common adjectives have special irregular comparative and superlative forms. Don't use "más" or "menos" with these!
| Adjective | Meaning | Comparative | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bueno | good | mejor | better |
| malo | bad | peor | worse |
| grande | big / old (age) | mayor | bigger / older |
| pequeño | small / young | menor | smaller / younger |
✓ CORRECT
Este vino es mejor que ese
This wine is better than that one
✗ INCORRECT
Este vino es más bueno que ese
Don't use "más" with bueno
For Superlatives:
Add the definite article before the irregular form:
Es el mejor estudiante de la clase (He's the best student in the class)
Ella es la mayor de mis hermanas (She's the oldest of my sisters)
📦 Comparing Nouns and Actions
Comparing Quantities of Nouns
Use más/menos + noun + que to compare amounts:
Tengo más libros que tú
I have more books than you
Hay menos estudiantes que ayer
There are fewer students than yesterday
Comparing Actions (Verbs)
Use verb + más/menos + que to compare actions:
Ella estudia más que yo
She studies more than I do
Duermo menos que mi hermano
I sleep less than my brother
Examples
💬 Comparisons in Daily Life
Describing People
Mi hermano es más alto que yo
My brother is taller than me
Soy tan fuerte como tú
I'm as strong as you
Ella es la más simpática de la clase
She's the nicest in the class
Mi padre es mayor que mi madre
My father is older than my mother
Shopping & Prices
Esta camisa es más cara que esa
This shirt is more expensive than that one
Los zapatos son tan buenos como los míos
The shoes are as good as mine
Es el producto más barato de la tienda
It's the cheapest product in the store
Este coche es mejor que el otro
This car is better than the other one
Places & Travel
Madrid es más grande que Barcelona
Madrid is bigger than Barcelona
Este hotel es tan cómodo como el anterior
This hotel is as comfortable as the previous one
Es la playa más bonita de España
It's the most beautiful beach in Spain
El tren es peor que el avión
The train is worse than the plane
🎯 Common Comparison Expressions
más o menos
more or less
cuanto más... más...
the more... the more...
cada vez más
more and more
cada vez menos
less and less
lo más... posible
as... as possible
el/la mismo/a... que
the same... as
Example Sentences:
¿Cómo estás? – Más o menos
How are you? – So-so
Cuanto más estudio, más aprendo
The more I study, the more I learn
Hace cada vez más calor
It's getting hotter and hotter
Habla lo más rápido posible
Speak as fast as possible
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
❌ Don't Use "Más" with Irregular Forms
Never combine más/menos with mejor, peor, mayor, or menor:
Wrong:más mejor
Correct:mejor
💡 Mayor vs Más Grande
Mayor is usually for age, más grande for physical size:
Mi hermana es mayor que yo (older)
Esta casa es más grande que la otra (bigger)
✅ Agreement is Essential
Adjectives must agree in gender and number:
Las casas más grandes (feminine plural)
Los chicos más altos (masculine plural)
⚠️ De vs Que in Superlatives
Use de (not que) after superlatives to mean "in" or "of":
Correct: El más alto de la clase
Wrong: El más alto que la clase
📍 Position of Adjectives
In superlatives, the adjective goes after más/menos:
El libro más interesante ✓
El más libro interesante ✗
🔢 Comparing Numbers
Use más de or menos de before numbers (not "que"):
Tengo más de veinte libros
I have more than twenty books
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Interactive Comparisons Quiz
Test your knowledge of Spanish comparisons, superlatives, and irregular forms!
1
How do you say 'Maria is taller than Juan'?
2
What's the correct way to say 'He is as intelligent as his sister'?
3
Which is the correct superlative: 'It's the most beautiful city in Spain'?
4
How do you say 'This wine is better than that one'?
5
What's the correct way to say 'My father is older than my mother'?
6
How do you say 'I have more than 20 books'?
7
Which sentence is correct: 'She studies more than I do'?
8
What's the correct way to say 'It's the worst movie of the year'?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...