The three-way pattern
French comparison runs on three little words: plus (more), moins (less), aussi (as). Wrap them around an adjective or adverb with que and you can compare anything: plus rapide que, moins cher que, aussi grand que.
After que, use the stressed pronouns: que moi, que toi, que lui, que nous, que vous, qu'eux. Elle court plus vite que moi.
| Le train est plus rapide que le bus. | The train is faster than the bus. |
| Cette chambre est moins chère que l'autre. | This room is less expensive than the other one. |
| Elle est aussi grande que son frère. | She is as tall as her brother. the adjective still agrees: grande |
Comparing nouns and verbs
With nouns, the pattern adds de: plus de, moins de, autant de. J'ai plus de travail que toi. Note that the equality word changes from aussi to autant when a noun or a verb is being compared.
With verbs, the comparison word follows the verb: Paul travaille plus que nous. Elle sort moins qu'avant.
| Il y a plus de touristes en été. | There are more tourists in summer. plus de + noun |
| J'ai autant de travail que toi. | I have as much work as you. autant de for nouns, never aussi de |
| Paul travaille plus que nous. | Paul works more than we do. |
The irregulars: meilleur, mieux, pire
Never say plus bon; the comparative of bon is meilleur, and it agrees like any adjective: une meilleure idée. Mieux is the adverb: it improves verbs. Elle chante mieux que moi. The test: if English uses better before a noun or after be, French wants meilleur; if better describes how an action is done, French wants mieux.
| Base word | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| bon (good, adjective) | meilleur(e)(s) | le / la / les meilleur(e)(s) |
| bien (well, adverb) | mieux | le mieux |
| mauvais (bad) | pire or plus mauvais | le pire |
| Ce café est meilleur que l'autre. | This coffee is better than the other one. meilleur = adjective better |
| Elle chante mieux que moi. | She sings better than I do. mieux = adverb better |
Plus bon does not exist, and plus bien does not exist. When you feel one coming, swap in meilleur or mieux.
Superlatives: le plus, le moins
Add the definite article in front of the comparative: le plus rapide, la moins chère, les plus grands. The article agrees with the noun. If the adjective normally follows the noun, the superlative follows too and repeats the article: la ville la plus chère.
To name the group you are comparing within, French uses de where English uses in: la plus grande ville de France, the biggest city in France.
| C'est le plus vieux quartier de la ville. | It is the oldest neighborhood in the city. de after a superlative, never dans |
| C'est la meilleure boulangerie du quartier. | It is the best bakery in the neighborhood. |
Saying plus out loud
The word plus has more than one pronunciation, and the s carries meaning. Before an adjective or adverb, the s is silent: plus grand sounds like plew grahn, with liaison z before a vowel: plus intéressant. In quantity comparisons like plus de and after a verb (il travaille plus que moi), most speakers pronounce the s.
In the negative ne ... plus (no longer), the s is always silent. Hearing plewss versus plew can decide between more and no more, so this detail earns its place in your pronunciation practice.
Pronunciation corner
| plus grand | /ply gʁɑ̃/ | plew GRAHN; silent s before an adjective |
| plus intéressant | /plyz‿ɛ̃teʁesɑ̃/ | plew-Z...; the s wakes up as z before a vowel |
| il travaille plus | /il tʁavaj plys/ | plewss with an audible s when plus follows a verb |
| meilleur | /mɛjœʁ/ | may-YUR; the middle is a y glide |
| mieux | /mjø/ | myuh, one rounded syllable |
Practice drill
Fill each blank with the comparison word that matches the English cue in brackets.
Ce film est ___ intéressant que le livre. (less)Show answer
moins
Marie est ___ grande que sa sœur. (as)Show answer
aussi
Ce gâteau est ___ que l'autre. (better)Show answer
meilleur
Je dors ___ depuis une semaine. (better)Show answer
mieuxadverb: it describes the verb dormir
C'est la ___ boulangerie du quartier. (best)Show answer
meilleurefeminine agreement with boulangerie
Il a ___ de livres que moi. (more)Show answer
plus
Nous avons ___ de chance que vous. (as much)Show answer
autant
C'est le quartier le ___ cher de la ville. (most)Show answer
plus
Frequently asked questions
When do I pronounce the s in plus?
Silent before adjectives and adverbs (plus grand), pronounced as z in liaison before a vowel (plus intéressant), and pronounced as s in quantities and after verbs (plus de temps, il mange plus). In ne ... plus, the s is always silent.
What is the difference between meilleur and mieux?
Meilleur is the adjective, the comparative of bon, and it agrees: une meilleure solution. Mieux is the adverb, the comparative of bien, and it modifies verbs: elle joue mieux. If better sits next to a noun, choose meilleur; if it describes an action, choose mieux.
Is pire the same as plus mauvais?
Both are accepted comparatives of mauvais. Pire is shorter and very common in set phrases: c'est pire, le pire jour. Plus mauvais appears freely in everyday speech: ce restaurant est plus mauvais que l'autre.
Why is it la plus grande ville de France and never en France?
After a superlative, French marks the comparison group with de: le meilleur restaurant de la ville, la plus longue rivière du pays. English says in; French says de. Memorize the pattern superlative + de.