Comparative and Superlative Sentences in
French

Comparative and superlative sentences in French are not difficult to master. They are basic constructions that generally will make sense to the French language learner. Of course, nothing is ever perfectly easy, but with a little practice you'll have it down in no time.

The English equivalent to a comparative sentence is saying that something is more than, less than or as much as. For most language learners, the construction is very easy because it follows the same construction in English. In English, for example, you might say that "She is as pretty as Betty." In French, you can say the exact same thing: Elle est aussi jolie que Betty. Remember, as always, to make sure that your adjectives agree in number and gender to the subject of the sentence.

Use the following construction to make comparative sentences in French:

• aussi + adjective + que = as (pretty, skinny, etc.) as. . .
• plus + adjective + que = more (pretty, skinny, etc.) than. . .
• moins + adjective + que = less (pretty, skinny, etc.) than. . .

Superlatives area bit trickier in French but still not impossible once you get the hang of them. A superlative in English describes something that is at one extreme or the other. It's the equivalent of adding -est on the end of the word. For example, the tallest, the shortest, the smartest, etc. A superlative can also be the least of something, as in the least intelligent, the least capable, etc.

Use the following construction to make superlative sentences in French:

• To say the least use le/la moins + adjective. Make sure that the definite article le/la as well as the adjective being used, agrees with the noun being described.
• To say the most use le/la plus + adjective. Likewise, the definite article le/la, as well as the adjective, must agree in gender and number with the noun being described.

For the most part, comparative and superlative sentences in French are not difficult because the construction is similar enough to English that most French language learners pick up on the idea quickly. The hardest thing to remember is often the gender and number agreement. However, the words bon (good), bien (well), and mauvais (bad) are a bit trickier. Just like in English, they take on a special form when being used as comparatives or superlatives.

English speakers would never say, gooder or more good and French speakers don't either. Instead they say 'better'. The word for better is meilleur. To make it agree with a feminine noun, you add an "e", and likewise add an "s" if the noun is plural. For example:

Ma voiture est meilleure que ta voiture. My car is better than your car.

In the superlative in English you would never say the goodest and you don't in French either. Instead you use the same construction saying something is le meilleur.

However, bon is only irregular if you are saying something is better. If you are saying something is less good, bon follows the same rules and regular construction. This is relatively easy to remember if you think about the rules in English. Again, you cannot say something is "gooder" but you can say something isn't as good as.

Bien also has a superior comparative and superlative form: mieux. Many students get confused as to when to use meilleur and when to use mieux. Remember that mieux replaces bien as better whereas meilleur replaces bon. Bien is an adverb and so it will always modify a verb in lieu of a noun. (Consequently, there are no masculine or feminine forms of mieux nor do you add anything to it to make it agree in number.)

Fortunately, mauvais is not as tricky as some of the other forms. Mauvais can be used as is (adding an "e" on the end for feminine nouns and an "s" on the end for plurals). However, you can also say something is worse or the worst. The word for "worse" is pire.

With a little practice you will have mastered comparative and superlative sentences in French. Why not practice right now by comparing your family members, the books you've recently read, or the movies you've recently seen?

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