Spanish Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives are used to describe and compare people, places, and things. They are essential for adding detail and depth to your descriptions.

Main Rule: How to Form Comparatives & Superlatives

Comparatives (Comparing Two Things)

We use comparatives to say something is 'more than', 'less than', or 'as...as' something else.

1. Superiority (more ... than): más + [adjective/adverb/noun] + que

   • Example: Marta es más alta que su hermano. (Marta is taller than her brother.)

2. Inferiority (less ... than): menos + [adjective/adverb/noun] + que

   • Example: Este coche es menos caro que el otro. (This car is less expensive than the other one.)

3. Equality (as ... as):

   • With adjectives/adverbs: tan + [adjective/adverb] + como
     • Example: El libro es tan interesante como la película. (The book is as interesting as the movie.)
   • With nouns: tanto/a/os/as + [noun] + como (Note: tanto must agree in gender and number with the noun.)
     • Example: Tengo tantos amigos como tú. (I have as many friends as you.)

Superlatives (Comparing One to a Group)

We use superlatives to say something is 'the most' or 'the least'.

• Structure: el/la/los/las + [noun] + más/menos + [adjective] + de [group]
  • Example: Es la casa más grande de la ciudad. (It is the biggest house in the city.)
  • Example: Son los estudiantes menos aplicados de la clase. (They are the least diligent students in the class.)

A Note on Irregulars

Like in English (good -> better -> best), Spanish has a few irregular forms you'll see often when reading. For example, bueno (good) becomes mejor (better) and malo (bad) becomes peor (worse). This drill focuses on the main rules above, but it's good to be aware of these common exceptions!