Comparisons
Use más, menos and tan to compare people and things, and a few irregular words for good, bad, old and young.
Take the quizMore and less
Más + adjective + que
- Mi hermano es más alto que yo.My brother is taller than me.
Menos + adjective + que
- Este carro es menos caro que el otro.This car is less expensive than the other one.
It also works with nouns, verbs and adverbs
- Tengo más trabajo que tú.I have more work than you.
- Ella corre más que yo.She runs more than I do.
- Llegué más tarde que él.I arrived later than he did.
Use de, not que, before a number
- Tengo más de veinte primos.I have more than twenty cousins.
- Cuesta menos de diez dólares.It costs less than ten dollars.
In a negative sentence, no más que means only: No tengo más que diez dólares.
Equal comparisons
Tan + adjective or adverb + como
- Ana es tan alta como su madre.Ana is as tall as her mother.
- Hablas tan rápido como yo.You speak as fast as I do.
Tanto + noun + como, agreeing with the noun
- No tengo tanto dinero como tú.I don't have as much money as you.
- No tengo tantas camisas como él.I don't have as many shirts as he does.
Verb + tanto como, with no agreement
- No trabajo tanto como antes.I don't work as much as before.
Igual de + adjective + que is common in speech
- Es igual de caro que el otro.It's just as expensive as the other one.
Irregular comparisons
Bueno becomes mejor, and malo becomes peor
- Este café es mejor que ese.This coffee is better than that one.
- Hoy está peor que ayer.Today he's worse than yesterday.
Never más bueno for quality in careful speech. Mejor and peor add -es in the plural.
Mayor and menor for age
- Mi hermana mayor vive en Ponce.My older sister lives in Ponce.
- Soy menor que tú.I'm younger than you.
Bien becomes mejor, and mal becomes peor, as adverbs
- Hoy canto mejor.Today I'm singing better.
- Dormí peor que anoche.I slept worse than last night.
The most and the least
El, la, los or las + más + adjective + de
- Es la playa más bonita de la isla.It's the prettiest beach on the island.
- Es el más alto de la familia.He's the tallest in the family.
Use de for in, never en.
With mejor and peor, no más is needed
- Es el mejor restaurante de la ciudad.It's the best restaurant in the city.
Add -ísimo for very, very
- La comida está riquísima.The food is absolutely delicious.
- Es carísimo.It's incredibly expensive.
- Estoy cansadísimo.I'm extremely tired.
The word drops its final vowel first, and spelling can change: rico, riquísimo.