Comparatives
In the previous post , we saw that adjectives must agree
in number and gender with the noun to which they refer. By placing más or menos before
adjectives and que after them we can make comparisons as follows:
Juan es más alto
que Pedro.
Juan is taller than Pedro.
Estas casas son
más bonitas que ésas.
These houses are prettier than those.
Este abrigo es
menos caro.
This coat is less expensive.
Los gatos son
menos cariñosos que los perros.
Cats are less affectionate than dogs.
When making a comparison using pronouns, the subject pronoun (see Unit
1) must be used after que:
e.g. (Yo) soy
más fuerte que tú.
I am stronger than you.
(Nosotros) somos
más ricos que ellos.
We are richer than them.
The comparisons can be further qualified by using the following adverbs
before más or menos:
mucho much/a lot
bastante quite/considerably
un pocoa
little
algo
rather/somewhat
e.g. Juan es mucho más
inteligente que Pedro.
Juan is much more intelligent than Pedro.
Este coche es bastante más cómodo que aquél.
This car is considerably more comfortable than that
one.
Este libro es un
poco menos interesante.
This book is a little less interesting.
más
que or más de?
When an expression of quantity (usually a number) follows ‘than’ this is
normally translated by de
rather than que:
Pesa más de
ochenta kilos.
He weighs more than 80 kilos.
Tengo menos de
veinte euros.
I have less than 20 euros.
Son más de las
doce y media.
It is later than half past twelve.
The exception to this is the expression no … más que (only) that
can be used before quantities:
No tengo más que
veinte euros.
I only have 20
euros.
No pesa más que
sesenta kilos.
He only weighs
60 kilos.
No son más que
las once.
It is only 11 o’clock.
A few adjectives have special comparative forms, although in some cases
it is possible to use más or menos before them in the same way as other
adjectives, but with a slightly different meaning or context:
Adjective Comparative
bueno mejor better
malo peor worse
grande mayor bigger, older
más grande bigger
pequeño menor
smaller, younger
más pequeño smaller
bajo inferior lower, inferior
más bajo l ower,
shorter (height)
alto superior higher, superior
más alto higher, taller (height)
mayor and menor are
especially used to indicate older and younger in family relationships:
mi hermano mayor
my older brother
su hermana menor
his younger sister
Superlatives
más and menos are also
used to form superlatives – ‘biggest’, ‘youngest’, ‘most interesting’,
etc. The absence of the following que indicates that a superlative
rather than a comparative is
intended:
la película más
interesante
the most interesting film
el pueblo más
aislado
the most remote villaje
el coche menos caro
the cheapest car
Note: To express the English ‘in’
after a superlative, de must be used:
la chica más
inteligente de la clase
the most intelligent girl in the class
el país más rico
del mundo
the richest country in the world
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