Comparative and Superlative

Comparative and superlative adjective forms are formed only from descriptive adjectives. They enable us to express various degrees of comparison between things, actions, etc. There are three degrees of comparison: equality, inferiority, and superiority.

Formation of Comparative and Superlative

The comparative and superlative form as follows:

Comparative:

aussi...que (as...as)
plus...que (more...than)
moins...que (less...than)

Superlative:

le (la, les) plus... (the most...)
le (la, les) moins... (the least...)

Comparative Degree

Comparative of equality:

Aussi...que (as...as) is used to express a comparison of equality.

Elle est aussi grande que son frère.
(She is as tall as her brother.)

Comparative of superiority: plus...que (more...than)

Il est plus fort que sa soeur.
(He is stronger than his sister.)

Comparative of inferiority: moins...que (less...than)

Elle est moins forte que son frère.
(She is not as strong as her brother.)

Notes:

Que (than) introduces the second element in the comparative construction.

Comparative forms agree in number and gender with the nouns they describe.

Ces filles sont plus intelligentes que ces garçons.
(These girls are smarter than these boys.)

Superlative Degree

Positive superlative: le (la, les) plus ... (the most...)

Jean-Marc est le plus doué de la classe.
(Jean-Marc is the most gifted student in the class.)

Negative superlative: le (la, les) moins... (the least...)

Robert est le moins intelligent de la classe.
(Robert is the least intelligent in the class.)

Notes:

The second element of a comparison may be a noun, a disjunctive (prepositional) pronoun, an adverb, or a clause.

The superlative forms of the adjectives agree in number and gender with the noun they describe.

Les éléphants sont les animaux les plus gros d'Afrique.
(Elephants are the biggest animals in Africa.)

When it is necessary to express an extremely high degree (vs. the highest degree), the adjective (or adverb) should be preceded by an adverb such as: bien or fort (very), extraordinairement (extraordinarily), infiniment (infinitely), etc.

Nous avons été infiniment touchés par votre gentillesse.
(We have been deeply touched by your kindness.)

Exceptional Forms of Comparative and Superlative:

A small number of adjectives do not follow the regular rules of formation of comparatives and superlatives:

See Also:

• Adjectives
• Types of Adjectives
• Feminine and Masculine Forms
• Singular and Plural Forms
• Sequence of Adjectives in a Noun Phrase
• Noun Phrases
• Coordinate Conjunctions
• Definite Articles
• Comparative and Superlative Adverbs