Comparatives - comparing two things
More than / Less than
The basic pattern is straightforward:
- más + adjective + que = more ... than
- menos + adjective + que = less ... than
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Madrid es más grande que Sevilla. | Madrid is bigger than Seville. |
| El tren es más rápido que el autobús. | The train is faster than the bus. |
| Este libro es menos interesante que ese. | This book is less interesting than that one. |
| Mi hermano es más alto que yo. | My brother is taller than me. |
Note: After que in comparisons, use subject pronouns: más alto que yo (not me), más rápido que tú.
With nouns and verbs
The same pattern works with nouns and verbs:
- Tengo más dinero que tú. - I have more money than you.
- Ella tiene menos tiempo que nosotros. - She has less time than us.
- Yo trabajo más que él. - I work more than him.
- Ella estudia menos que su hermana. - She studies less than her sister.
With numbers - use "de" instead of "que"
When comparing with a number, replace que with de:
- Hay más de veinte personas. - There are more than twenty people.
- Cuesta menos de diez euros. - It costs less than ten euros.
- Tengo más de tres hermanos. - I have more than three siblings.
As much as / As ... as
To say things are equal:
- tan + adjective + como = as ... as
- tanto/a/os/as + noun + como = as much/many ... as
- verb + tanto como = verb as much as
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ella es tan inteligente como su hermano. | She is as intelligent as her brother. |
| Barcelona no es tan grande como Madrid. | Barcelona isn't as big as Madrid. |
| Tengo tantos libros como tú. | I have as many books as you. |
| No tengo tanto dinero como ella. | I don't have as much money as her. |
| Ella trabaja tanto como yo. | She works as much as me. |
Remember: Tanto agrees with the noun it precedes: tanto (m. sing.), tanta (f. sing.), tantos (m. pl.), tantas (f. pl.). But tan (before adjectives) never changes.
Irregular comparatives
Four very common adjectives have irregular comparative forms - you don't use más with these:
| Adjective | Comparative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bueno/a (good) | mejor (better) | Esta paella es mejor que la de ayer. - This paella is better than yesterday's. |
| malo/a (bad) | peor (worse) | El tiempo hoy es peor que ayer. - The weather today is worse than yesterday. |
| grande (big) | mayor (bigger / older) | Mi hermano es mayor que yo. - My brother is older than me. |
| pequeño/a (small) | menor (smaller / younger) | Soy la menor de la familia. - I'm the youngest in the family. |
Note: Mayor and menor are mainly used for age. For physical size, you can use más grande and más pequeño.
Superlatives - the most / the least
To say something is the most or least, use:
el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective + de
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Es la ciudad más grande de España. | It's the biggest city in Spain. |
| Es el restaurante más caro del barrio. | It's the most expensive restaurant in the neighbourhood. |
| Es la película menos interesante del año. | It's the least interesting film of the year. |
| Son los mejores estudiantes de la clase. | They are the best students in the class. |
| Es el peor hotel de la ciudad. | It's the worst hotel in the city. |
Note: The superlative uses de where English uses "in" or "of": el más alto de la clase (the tallest in the class).
The absolute superlative: -ísimo
To say something is extremely/really ..., add -ísimo/a/os/as to the adjective:
- fácil → fácilísimo - extremely easy
- grande → grandísimo - really big
- bueno → buenísimo - really good
- caro → carísimo - extremely expensive
- La comida está buenísima. - The food is really good.
- Estoy cansadísimo. - I'm extremely tired.
Dialogue: choosing a restaurant
Ana: ¿Dónde cenamos esta noche? ¿En Casa Miguel o en La Terraza?
Carlos: Hmm. Casa Miguel es más barato que La Terraza.
Ana: Sí, pero La Terraza tiene mejor comida. Su paella es la mejor del barrio.
Carlos: Es verdad. Aunque Casa Miguel no es tan caro como piensas. La última vez pagué menos de veinte euros.
Ana: ¿Y el servicio? La Terraza tiene los camareros más simpáticos de la zona.
Carlos: Vale, tienes razón. La Terraza es mejor. Pero hay más gente que en Casa Miguel, así que es más difícil encontrar mesa.
Ana: Entonces reservamos. ¿A las nueve?
Carlos: Perfecto. Tengo tantísima hambre que podría comer dos paellas.
Ana: ¡Tú siempre comes más que nadie!
Translation
Ana: Where shall we have dinner tonight? At Casa Miguel or La Terraza?
Carlos: Hmm. Casa Miguel is cheaper than La Terraza.
Ana: Yes, but La Terraza has better food. Their paella is the best in the neighbourhood.
Carlos: That's true. Although Casa Miguel isn't as expensive as you think. Last time I paid less than twenty euros.
Ana: And the service? La Terraza has the friendliest waiters in the area.
Carlos: OK, you're right. La Terraza is better. But there are more people than at Casa Miguel, so it's harder to find a table.
Ana: Then let's book. At nine?
Carlos: Perfect. I'm so hungry I could eat two paellas.
Ana: You always eat more than anyone!
Practice
Translate into Spanish:
- Spanish is easier than German.
- This is the best restaurant in the city.
- I'm older than my sister.
- She doesn't have as much time as me.
- There are more than fifty students.
- It's the most boring film of the year.
Answers
- El español es más fácil que el alemán.
- Este es el mejor restaurante de la ciudad.
- Soy mayor que mi hermana.
- Ella no tiene tanto tiempo como yo.
- Hay más de cincuenta estudiantes.
- Es la película más aburrida del año.
Key takeaways
- Comparatives: más/menos + adjective + que. With numbers, use de instead of que.
- Equality: tan + adjective + como (as ... as). Tanto/a/os/as + noun + como (as much/many as).
- Irregular comparatives: mejor (better), peor (worse), mayor (older), menor (younger).
- Superlatives: el/la más + adjective + de. Use de where English uses "in".
- Absolute superlative: add -ísimo/a for "extremely" or "really".