- 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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AdjectivesElementary
Comparisons: más, menos, el más (More, Less, The Most)
Compare people, things, and actions using más, menos, tan, tanto
The rule at a glance
más / menos + adjective + que
as ... as: tan ... como · the most: el/la más ... de
More / less than
más ... que
more ... than
Mi hermano es más alto que yo.
My brother is taller than me.
As ... as
tan ... como
as ... as
Ana es tan inteligente como Luis.
Ana is as intelligent as Luis.
The most / least
el/la más ... de
the most ... in
Es la playa más bonita de España.
It's the most beautiful beach in Spain.
Irregular forms
mejor · peor · mayor · menor
better · worse · older · younger (mayor/menor for age; más grande for size)
Este coche es mejor que el otro.
This car is better than the other one.
- No más with the irregulars: mejor que, not más mejor. For quality, say mejor rather than más bueno.
- De, not que, after a superlative (el más alto de la clase) and before a number in positive sentences (más de veinte libros).
- As much / as many as: tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + como: Tengo tantos libros como tú. With a verb, just tanto como: Trabajo tanto como él.
What You'll Learn
Overview
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
Equality (As... As)
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
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.
More Than Formula
subject + más + adjective + que
Juan es más alto que Pedro
Juan is taller than Pedro
Less Than Formula
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: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. Add 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" with mejor, peor, mayor or menor!
| 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
Use "mejor" rather than "más bueno" for quality
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
Inequality (More/Less Than)
More than
Mi hermano es más alto que yo
My brother is taller than me
Less than
Este libro es menos interesante que ese
This book is less interesting than that one
More than
Madrid es más grande que Barcelona
Madrid is bigger than Barcelona
More than
Esta camisa es más cara que esa
This shirt is more expensive than that one
Equality (As... As)
Tan... como
Soy tan fuerte como tú
I'm as strong as you
Tan... como
Ana es tan inteligente como Luis
Ana is as intelligent as Luis
Tan... como
Este hotel es tan cómodo como el anterior
This hotel is as comfortable as the previous one
Tan... como
Los zapatos son tan buenos como los míos
The shoes are as good as mine
Superlatives (The Most/Least)
The most
Ella es la más simpática de la clase
She's the nicest in the class
The most
Es el producto más barato de la tienda
It's the cheapest product in the shop
The most
Es la playa más bonita de España
It's the most beautiful beach in Spain
The least
Son los libros menos interesantes
They're the least interesting books
Irregular Comparatives
Mejor (better)
Este coche es mejor que el otro
This car is better than the other one
Peor (worse)
El tren es peor que el avión
The train is worse than the plane
Mayor (older)
Mi padre es mayor que mi madre
My father is older than my mother
Menor (younger)
Soy menor que mi hermano
I'm younger than my brother
Common Expressions
Expression
Más o menos
More or less / So-so
The more... the more
Cuanto más estudio, más aprendo
The more I study, the more I learn
Each time more
Hace cada vez más calor
It's getting hotter and hotter
As... as possible
Habla lo más rápido posible
Speak as fast as possible
Common Mistakes
Common Comparison Mistakes
Wrong: más mejor
Correct: mejor
Never use "más" with irregular forms (mejor, peor, mayor, menor)
Wrong: El más alto que la clase
Correct: El más alto de la clase
Use "de" (not "que") after superlatives to mean "in" or "of"
Wrong: Tengo más que veinte libros
Correct: Tengo más de veinte libros
Use "más de" or "menos de" before numbers, not "que"
Wrong: El más libro interesante
Correct: El libro más interesante
In superlatives, adjective goes after más/menos, not before
Mayor vs Más Grande
Mayor is usually for age, más grande for physical size:
For Age:
Mi hermana es mayor que yo
My sister is older than me
For Size:
Esta casa es más grande que la otra
This house is bigger than the other
Agreement is Essential
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun being described:
Las casas más grandes
Feminine plural - grandes agrees with casas
Los chicos más altos
Masculine plural - altos agrees with chicos
Quick Test
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 film of the year'?