what is it?
Comparatives and superlatives allow you to compare qualities, quantities, or actions. Comparatives establish relationships of superiority (más ... que), inferiority (menos ... que), or equality (tan ... como) between two elements. The absolute superlative (-ísimo) expresses an extreme degree of a quality without making a direct comparison. Some common adjectives have irregular comparative forms that replace the standard más construction.
when to use it
Superiority comparisons — when one thing has more of a quality than another (más ... que).
Inferiority comparisons — when one thing has less of a quality than another (menos ... que).
Equality comparisons — when two things share the same degree of a quality (tan ... como).
Absolute superlatives — when you want to emphasize that something has a quality to an extreme degree without comparing it to anything else (-ísimo/-ísima).
Irregular forms — use mejor, peor, mayor, and menor instead of the regular comparative forms for certain adjectives.
formation
Comparatives of superiority and inferiority
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| más + adjective/adverb + que | más alto que (taller than) |
| menos + adjective/adverb + que | menos caro que (less expensive than) |
| verb + más/menos + que | trabaja más que yo (works more than me) |
Comparatives of equality
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| tan + adjective/adverb + como | tan rápido como (as fast as) |
| verb + tanto como | come tanto como tú (eats as much as you) |
| tanto/a/os/as + noun + como | tantos libros como (as many books as) |
Absolute superlative
Add -ísimo/-ísima/-ísimos/-ísimas to the adjective stem. Drop the final vowel if the adjective ends in a vowel.
| Adjective | Absolute superlative |
|---|---|
| alto | altísimo |
| bueno | buenísimo |
| grande | grandísimo |
| fácil | facilísimo |
Irregular comparative forms
| Adjective | Irregular comparative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bueno | mejor | better |
| malo | peor | worse |
| grande (age/importance) | mayor | older/greater |
| pequeño (age/importance) | menor | younger/lesser |
For size, you can use either the regular forms (más grande, más pequeño) or the irregular forms (mayor, menor). For age or importance, prefer the irregular forms.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using 'de' instead of 'que' in comparisons — the standard comparative marker is que, not de. Say más alto que yo, not *más alto de mí. Use de only before numbers or quantities (más de diez personas).
Saying 'más bueno' instead of 'mejor' — the adjectives bueno, malo, grande (age/importance), and pequeño (age/importance) have irregular comparative forms. Say mejor, not *más bueno; peor, not *más malo; mayor for age, not *más grande.
Confusing 'tan' and 'tanto' — use tan before adjectives and adverbs (tan alto como), but tanto (and its forms) before nouns (tantos libros como) or after verbs (come tanto como).
Forgetting agreement with the absolute superlative — the -ísimo ending must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: altísimo, altísima, altísimos, altísimas.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Esta sopa está ___ caliente como el café.
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the comparison.