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French Comparative and Superlative
French comparatives use plus, moins, or aussi followed by que to compare qualities or actions: more than, less than, or as ... as. For nouns, equality uses autant de ... que. French superlatives add an article, usually le, la, or les, to make the comparison absolute: the most, the least, the best in a group.
The basic dials are simple: plus … que, moins … que, aussi … que; then le/la/les plus … de for "the most … in/of". The main work is choosing whether you are comparing adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.
In short
- Plus … que = more … than; moins … que = less … than; aussi … que = as … as.
- Superlative = article + plus/moins:
le plus rapide,la moins chère,les plus utiles. - Use de for "in/of" after a superlative:
la plus grande ville de France.
comparativesuperlativeque / de· hover a highlighted word for its label
Comparing adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns; the comparative wraps around the adjective, and the adjective still agrees with the noun as usual. Que is the French word for "than" in this pattern, not the English "that".
| Meaning | Pattern |
|---|---|
| more ... than | plus + adjective + que |
| less ... than | moins + adjective + que |
| as ... as | aussi + adjective + que |
This café is less expensive than the other one.
— Moins cher compares an adjective; que means than.
The new station is bigger than the old one.
— Plus grande agrees with gare, which is feminine; que means than.
This street is as quiet as yours.
— Aussi calme que expresses equality.
Comparing adverbs
Adverbs describe how an action happens, so the comparative usually comes after the verb. The pattern is almost the same as with adjectives: plus vite que, moins souvent que, aussi clairement que. Adverbs do not agree.
She speaks more slowly than her brother.
— Plus lentement que compares how she speaks.
We arrive as early as the first train.
— Aussi tôt que compares timing.
Comparing nouns
With nouns, French adds de: plus de monde, moins de bruit, autant de temps. Equality changes from aussi to autant: English says "as many/much"; French says autant de.
| Meaning | Pattern |
|---|---|
| more ... than | plus de + noun + que |
| less/fewer ... than | moins de + noun + que |
| as much/many ... as | autant de + noun + que |
There are more people than yesterday.
— Noun comparison uses plus de before the noun.
She has as much time as me.
— With nouns, equality is autant de, not aussi de.
Superlatives: the most, the least
To make a superlative, add the article that matches the noun: le, la, les. When the adjective follows the noun, the repeated article is required — once before the noun and once before the superlative phrase; la ville plus chère is wrong:
la ville la plus chère
Adjectives that normally precede the noun put the whole superlative before it: la plus belle plage.
After a superlative, English often says "in"; French usually says de:
la plus belle plage de la région
Adverbs form superlatives too, always with invariable le: le plus lentement, le moins souvent. Noun superlatives use le plus de or le moins de before the noun: le plus de temps.
It’s the most beautiful beach in the region.
— La plus belle is the superlative; de means in/of here.
It’s the least expensive city in the country.
— La ville la moins chère has the article before ville and before moins chère.
These are the most useful apps on my phone.
— Les plus utiles chooses the top items from a comparison set.
She is the one who speaks the most slowly.
— Le plus lentement is an adverb superlative; le never changes.
This project is the one that takes the most time.
— Le plus de builds a noun superlative.
Not here: meilleur and mieux
The regular system does not handle every "better": bon becomes meilleur, and bien becomes mieux. That boundary is covered in the bon vs bien guide.
Common mistakes
✗Ce café est moins cher de l’autre.
✓Ce café est moins cher que l’autre.
Comparatives use que for "than"; de belongs after many superlatives and inside noun comparisons.
✗Elle a aussi de temps que moi.
✓Elle a autant de temps que moi.
With nouns, equality is autant de, not aussi de.
✗C’est la plus belle plage dans la région.
✓C’est la plus belle plage de la région.
After a superlative, French usually uses de for "in/of".
✗Cette ville est le plus chère du pays.
✓Cette ville est la plus chère du pays.
The superlative article agrees with the noun; ville is feminine.
Check yourself
1 / 4Ce train est plus rapide ___ le bus.
2 / 4Elle a ___ patience que moi.
3 / 4C’est ___ ville la plus chère du pays.
4 / 4Nous arrivons ___ tôt que vous.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "than" in French comparisons?
Use que after the comparative: plus grand que, moins cher que, aussi vite que. Do not use de for "than" in this pattern.
What is the difference between plus and le plus?
Plus alone builds a comparison: plus rapide que means faster than. Le plus, la plus, or les plus builds a superlative: le plus rapide means the fastest.
Why does French say de after a superlative?
After a superlative, de often means "in" or "of" the group being compared: la plus grande ville de France. It marks the set from which the top item is chosen.
Memory tip
Use three dials for ordinary comparisons: plus, moins, aussi. Add an article when the comparison becomes absolute: le plus, la moins, les plus.
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