French Adjective Comparatives and Superlatives
Compare adjectives with plus, moins and aussi, form superlatives, and learn when bon becomes meilleur - plus the contrasting-qualities exception.
French comparatives use plus…que (more than), moins…que (less than), and aussi…que (as…as): elle est plus grande que moi. Superlatives add le/la/les: le plus grand. Watch for the irregular: bon (good) becomes meilleur (better), rather than “plus bon” in an ordinary comparison of goodness or quality.
Quick answer
French comparatives use plus…que (more than), moins…que (less than), and aussi…que (as…as): elle est plus grande que moi. Superlatives add le/la/les: le plus grand. Watch for the irregular: bon (good) becomes meilleur (better), rather than “plus bon” in an ordinary comparison of goodness or quality.
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The 3 comparative patterns
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| plus…que | more…than | elle est plus grande que moi |
| moins…que | less…than | il est moins rapide que toi |
| aussi…que | as…as | elle est aussi intelligente que lui |
The meilleur trap
For an ordinary comparison of goodness or quality, bon (good) → meilleur (better), rather than “plus bon” - irregular, like English good/better. Parallel adverb irregular: bien (well) → mieux (better), also worth flagging.
When contrasting two qualities in the same person, plus bon is possible: il est plus bon que juste (he is more kind than fair). This is not the ordinary comparison of one person or thing with another.
Superlatives: le/la/les plus, le/la/les moins
Le plus grand, la moins chère - built directly from the comparative pattern by adding the definite article. See French adjectives for the agreement rules this interacts with.
The best: le meilleur / la meilleure
The superlative of the irregular bon - le meilleur (masc.) / la meilleure (fem.). See French grammar and French conjugation for the wider system.
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Questions about this note
How do you say "more than" in French?
Plus...que: il est plus grand que toi.
What's the comparative of bon?
For an ordinary comparison of goodness or quality, use meilleur. Plus bon is possible when contrasting qualities: il est plus bon que juste (he is more kind than fair).
How do you say "as...as" in French?
Aussi...que: elle est aussi intelligente que lui.
How do you form a superlative?
Le/la/les plus/moins + adjective: le plus grand, la moins chère, les plus grands.
What's the difference between meilleur and mieux?
Meilleur is the adjective form (better, describing a noun); mieux is the adverb form (better, describing a verb).