Making comparisons
Type the missing word in each sentence. You hear each sentence read by a native voice.
Mi hija es su prima.
My daughter is younger than her cousin.
The rule
Spanish does not change the adjective the way English does (tall, taller, tallest). Instead, it puts a word like más, menos, or tan before the adjective. A few common adjectives have their own comparative forms, like mejor and peor.
The pattern
más + adjective + que = more/...er than
más alto que = taller than
menos + adjective + que = less ... than
menos caro que = less expensive than
tan + adjective/adverb + como = as ... as
tan rápido como = as fast as
tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + como = as much/many ... as. Tanto agrees with the noun in gender and number.
tanto tiempo como = as much time as
tantas clases como = as many classes as
Four adjectives have irregular comparative forms:
| Adjective | Comparative | Not |
|---|---|---|
| bueno | mejor | ~~más bueno~~ |
| malo | peor | ~~más malo~~ |
| viejo (for age) | mayor | |
| joven (for age) | menor |
Más bueno exists but means "kinder" or "more good-natured," not "better."
Examples
- Ana es más alta que su hermano.Ana is taller than her brother.
- Este teléfono es menos caro que el otro.This phone is less expensive than the other one.
- No es tan difícil como parece.It is not as hard as it looks.
- Tengo tanto tiempo como tú.I have as much time as you.
- Ella tiene tantos libros como yo.She has as many books as I do.
- Este restaurante es mejor que ese.This restaurant is better than that one.
- Mi hermana es mayor que yo.My sister is older than me.
Watch out
- Este restaurante es más bueno que ese. Este restaurante es mejor que ese.Mejor is the standard comparative of bueno; use it for comparisons like this. Más bueno survives mainly in set phrases about kindness, like más bueno que el pan.
- Esta opción es más mejor. Esta opción es mejor.Mejor already means "more good," so adding más is redundant.
- Tengo tan libros como tú. Tengo tantos libros como tú.Before nouns, use tanto (which agrees in gender and number), not tan.
- Ella es tanta alta como su madre. Ella es tan alta como su madre.Before adjectives, always use tan, even when the adjective is feminine.