Bigger, Better, Best
Más grande, mejor, el mejor
After this lesson, you'll be able to:
- ✓Compare two things, people, or places (más/menos... que, tan... como)
- ✓Use the irregular comparatives mejor, peor, mayor and menor
- ✓Express superlatives (the best, the worst, the biggest)
- ✓Give opinions with reasons using comparisons
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.
Más + Adjective + Que (More... Than)
To say something is more than something else, use the pattern:
más + adjective + que
This is the most common way to make comparisons in Spanish. Unlike English, Spanish does not change the adjective itself (no "-er" ending) - you always put "más" before the adjective.
The adjective still agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes: "esta calle es más ruidosa", "los trenes son más rápidos". City names ending in -a are feminine ("Valencia es bonita"). With other city names you'll hear both: "Madrid es bonito" and "Madrid es bonita" (thinking of "la ciudad") are both correct.
You can also use más... que with nouns: "Valencia tiene más habitantes que Bilbao" (Valencia has more inhabitants than Bilbao).
Examples:
Menos + Adjective + Que (Less... Than)
To say something is less than something else, use:
menos + adjective + que
This works exactly like "más... que" but in the opposite direction. "Menos caro" (less expensive) and "menos ruidoso" (less noisy) are correct, but the everyday ways to say "cheaper" and "quieter" are "más barato" and "más tranquilo".
Examples:
Tan + Adjective + Como (As... As)
To say two things are equal in some quality, use:
tan + adjective + como
This is like saying "as... as" in English. The negative form no es tan... como means "not as... as".
Examples:
Irregular Comparatives: mejor, peor, mayor, menor
Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms - just like English has "better" instead of "more good". These are very common, so learn them by heart:
- bueno (good) -> mejor (better)
- malo (bad) -> peor (worse)
- mayor (older) - for people's age
- menor (younger) - for people's age
For physical size, use "más grande" and "más pequeño": "Madrid es más grande que Toledo".
Examples:
Superlatives: El/La/Los/Las Más + Adjective
To express the superlative - the most, the biggest, the least - use:
el/la/los/las + (noun) + más/menos + adjective + de
The article (el/la/los/las) agrees with the noun. Spanish uses "de" where English uses "in" or "of".
The irregular comparatives make superlatives with just the article:
- el/la mejor (the best)
- el/la peor (the worst)
- el/la mayor (the oldest)
- el/la menor (the youngest)
Mejor and peor usually go before the noun (el mejor museo, la peor película); when they refer to age, mayor and menor go after it (mi hermano mayor, la hija menor).
To say "the most ... thing", use lo más + adjective: "lo más importante" (the most important thing). With mejor and peor, just use lo: "lo mejor" (the best thing), "lo peor" (the worst thing).
Examples:
Tanto/Tanta/Tantos/Tantas + Noun + Como (As Much/Many... As)
When comparing quantities (how much or how many), use:
tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + como
"Tanto" agrees in gender and number with the noun:
- tanto + masculine singular noun (tanto ruido)
- tanta + feminine singular noun (tanta gente)
- tantos + masculine plural noun (tantos museos)
- tantas + feminine plural noun (tantas tiendas)
"Tan... como" compares qualities (adjectives); "tanto... como" compares quantities (nouns).
Examples:
Giving Opinions with Reasons
Comparisons are most useful when you give your opinion and say why. Start with an opinion expression, make the comparison, then add a reason with porque (because):
creo que / para mí / en mi opinión + comparison + porque + reason
You can also use prefiero (I prefer) and then explain with a comparison.
Examples:
Conversation Example
Ana and Pablo are having coffee and debating which city is better - Guadalajara (Ana's hometown in Mexico) or Madrid (Pablo's hometown in Spain). They use comparisons and superlatives to make their arguments.
🌍 Big Cities, Small Towns - The Diversity of the Spanish-Speaking World
The Spanish-speaking world is incredibly diverse when it comes to cities and towns. From massive capitals like Mexico City (over 21 million people in the metropolitan area) to tiny villages in the Andes with just a few hundred residents, there is an enormous range of places to live and visit. In Spain, there is a strong contrast between the major cities - Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville - and the many small rural towns. Spaniards often debate which city is best for quality of life, and each region takes great pride in its local character. A well-known saying is "De Madrid al cielo" (From Madrid to heaven), showing how proud madrileños are of their capital. In Latin America, the contrasts are even more dramatic. Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, while just a few hours away you can find quiet indigenous communities. Buenos Aires has a very European feel, while Cusco, in Peru, is built on Inca foundations. Bogota is a modern metropolis 2,600 metres above sea level, while Cartagena on the Caribbean coast feels like a completely different country. Spanish speakers love to compare their hometowns with others - "mi ciudad es más bonita", "nuestra comida es la mejor" - and these friendly debates are a natural part of conversation. When you visit a Spanish-speaking country, asking locals "¿Qué es lo mejor de tu ciudad?" (What is the best thing about your city?) is a great way to start a conversation.