Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives describe how one thing differs from another in quality, quantity, or degree. French comparisons follow clear patterns with plus, moins, and aussi, and sometimes require doubling the adjective or using a special form.

Key Expressions

Comparisons typically use plus que, moins que, and aussi que to link the two things being compared. For comparisons of amount rather than quality, use plus de or moins de before a noun or an expression.

French Expression	English Expression
plus que	more than
moins que	less than
aussi que	as ... as
plus de	more of
moins de	less of

French Example	English Translation
☝️ plus... que	more... than
✌️ moins... que	less... than
👌 aussi... que	as... as

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Basic Pattern

The basic pattern for comparative adjectives is: thing 1 + plus/moins/aussi + adjective + que + thing 2. The adjective agrees in gender and number with thing 1, since it describes that noun.

Special Adjectives

Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms, and a few change meaning depending on whether you use plus, moins, or an entirely different word. Very short adjectives sometimes double a letter when forming the comparative or superlative.

French Example	English Translation	Note
🧙 bon → meilleur	good → better	before noun
🧙‍♂️ mauvais → pire	bad → worse	before noun
🍽️ bien → mieux	well → better	after verb
🏥 mal → plus mal / pire	badly → worse	after verb

Comparisons of Quantity

When comparing quantity, use plus de, moins de, or autant de followed by a noun, rather than plus que. If you use an expression with a verb, you can also say plus... que when the second part is an infinitive or clause.

French Example	English Translation
🥣 Il y a plus de sucre que de sel.	There is more sugar than salt.
🥗 Il y a moins d’huile que de vinaigre.	There is less oil than vinegar.
🍯 Il y a autant de miel que de confiture.	There is as much honey as jam.

Comparisons with Adverbs

Adverbial comparisons use plus, moins, and aussi in the same way, but of course the adverb does not change form. You can place the adverbial comparative before an adjective or verb to fine-tune the meaning.

French Example	English Translation
🍞 La pâte lève plus rapidement avec de la chaleur.	The dough rises more quickly with heat.
🔥 Le four chauffe moins fort au deuxième étage.	The oven heats less strongly on the second rack.
⏱️ On peut cuire aussi longtemps à basse température.	You can bake just as long at low temperature.

Useful Examples

French Example	English Translation
🌶️ Cette sauce est plus épicée que celle d’hier.	This sauce is spicier than yesterday’s.
🥖 Le pain est moins croustillant ce matin.	The bread is less crusty this morning.
🍰 Le gâteau est aussi sucré que la tarte.	The cake is as sweet as the pie.
🔥 Le four est meilleur chaud que tiède.	The oven is better hot than warm.
🧴 Il y a plus de sel dans cette soupe.	There is more salt in this soup.
⏳ La sauce mijote moins longtemps.	The sauce simmers less time.
🍋 Ajoute autant de jus de citron.	Add as much lemon juice.
🧼 Lave les mains mieux avant de cuisiner.	Wash your hands better before cooking.

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Summary

Comparative adjectives in French use plus/moins/aussi + adjective + que to link the two things, with the adjective agreeing in gender and number. Use plus de or moins de before nouns when comparing quantity, and learn the few irregular adjectives to sound natural.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025