Published May 18, 2020 • Updated June 12, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson, teaching French online since 2014
The French comparative is used to compare people, things, and actions. It commonly uses plus… que (more… than), moins… que (less… than), and aussi… que (as… as).
The French superlative expresses the highest or lowest degree, such as the biggest, the smallest, the best, or the worst. It is commonly formed with le plus, le moins, le meilleur, and le pire.
✅ Comparative with adjectives
✅ Comparative with nouns
✅ Comparative with verbs
✅ Mieux vs. meilleur
✅ French superlative
✅ Le meilleur
| Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|
| plus… que = more… than | le plus = the most |
| moins… que = less… than | le moins = the least |
| aussi… que = as… as | le meilleur = the best |
| le pire = the worst |
The French comparative
The comparative lets you compare adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verbs.
Comparing adjectives
Use these patterns to compare qualities such as tall, expensive, or interesting.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| plus + adjective + que | more… than |
| moins + adjective + que | less… than |
| aussi + adjective + que | as… as |
Je suis plus grand que toi.
I’m taller than you.
Je suis aussi grand que toi.
I’m as tall as you.
Je suis moins grand que toi.
I’m shorter than you.
Comparing adverbs
The same constructions are used with adverbs.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| plus + adverb + que | more… than |
| moins + adverb + que | less… than |
| aussi + adverb + que | as… as |
Je cours plus vite que toi.
I run faster than you.
Je cours aussi vite que toi.
I run as fast as you.
Je cours moins vite que toi.
I run more slowly than you.
Comparing nouns
When comparing quantities, use de after plus, moins, and autant.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| plus de + noun + que | more… than |
| moins de + noun + que | less… than |
| autant de + noun + que | as much/many… as |
J’ai plus d’argent que toi.
I have more money than you.
J’ai moins d’argent que toi.
I have less money than you.
J’ai autant d’argent que toi.
I have as much money as you.
Comparing verbs
Use these forms when comparing actions.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| plus que | more than |
| moins que | less than |
| autant que | as much as |
J’étudie plus que toi.
I study more than you.
J’étudie moins que toi.
I study less than you.
J’étudie autant que toi.
I study as much as you.
Mieux vs. meilleur
Both words mean better, but they are used differently.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mieux | better (used with verbs) |
| meilleur / meilleure | better (used with nouns) |
Tu chantes mieux que moi.
You sing better than I do.
Ce restaurant est meilleur que l’autre.
This restaurant is better than the other one.
Pire
Use pire to mean worse than.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| pire que | worse than |
Mon vélo est pire que le tien.
My bicycle is worse than yours.
The French superlative
The superlative expresses the highest or lowest degree of a quality.
Superlatives with adjectives
Use le/la/les plus for the most and le/la/les moins for the least.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le/la/les plus + adjective | the most… |
| le/la/les moins + adjective | the least… |
Sylvie est la plus belle fille de la classe.
Sylvie is the prettiest girl in the class.
Stéphanie est la moins belle de la classe.
Stéphanie is the least attractive girl in the class.
Je connais la fille la plus intelligente.
I know the smartest girl.
Le meilleur
The superlative of bon is le meilleur (or la meilleure).
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le meilleur | the best (masculine) |
| la meilleure | the best (feminine) |
C’est le meilleur fromage du marché.
It’s the best cheese at the market.
C’est la meilleure pizza de la ville.
It’s the best pizza in the city.
Superlatives with adverbs
Most adverbs use le plus and le moins.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le plus + adverb | the most |
| le moins + adverb | the least |
Je cours le plus rapidement.
I run the fastest.
Je cours le moins rapidement.
I run the least quickly.
Le mieux and le plus mal
Use le mieux with bien and le plus mal with mal.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le mieux | the best |
| le plus mal | the worst |
Elle chante le mieux.
She sings the best.
Il joue le plus mal.
He plays the worst.
📚 Related Lessons
- French adjectives
- French Adverbs
- Plus (more)
- Autant (as much, as many)
- Aussi (as…as)
- Meilleur (better, best)
🚀 More lessons on FrenchLearner
