Comparatives

Sr. Arias

Comparatives

You have learned más and menos in certain expressions.

Superiority 

–   más... (que) more... than or ____er than

Inferiority

– menos... (que) less/fewer... than

Equality

– tan... como as... As– tanto... como as much/many as

Comparatives

Me gusta el tenis pero me gusta más el fútbol.

Te gustan las manzanas? Sί, más o menos.

Comparatives

We also use mas / menos + adjective + que (‘than’) to make comparisons.

Comparativesmas / menos + adjective + queLos discos compactos de Los

Toros son más populares que los discos compactos de Los Lobos.

Comparatives

mas / menos + adjective + que

Chris es menos serio que Caressa.

Comparatives

The adjectives agree with the nouns they refer to.

más and menos

With más and menos, the que + noun/pronoun construction is (optional). With tan and tanto como, however, the noun/pronoun is required.

tan and tanto como

In comparatives of equality, tan is used with adjectives (tan guapo como) and adverbs (tan rápidamente como), while tanto (tanta, tantos, tantas) is used with nouns (tanto dinero como) and verbs (trabajamos tanto como).

Comparatives

The adjectives bueno, malo, viejo, and joven have irregular comparative forms. We do not use más with them.

Comparatives

bueno, amalo, aviejo, ajoven

mejor (que)

peor (que)mayor (que)

menor (que)

Comparatives

Mejor, peor, mayor, and menor have plural forms ending in -es. However, they don’t have a different feminine form:

Comparatives

Las hermanas de Pedro son menores que las de Juan.

Comparatives

Mejor (better) is also the comparative form of bien (well), and peor (worse) also the comparative form of mal (badly).

Comparatives

When used in this sense, mejor and peor have only one form.

Comparatives

Eric y Julius son mejores que Ahmad y Bathool en tenis.

Comparatives

Gliezel y Fahiz juegan tenis mejor que Mahak y Brian.

Superlative

In English, Superlatives are when we use adjectives with an “est” as a suffix.

For example, the fastest runner, the tallest girl, etc.

Superlatives are formed with the definite article + noun + más or menos + adjective. Note that when the superlative uses "in" (e.g., the tallest in the world, the happiest in the house), "in" is translated by de.

Memorize this formula:

el/la/los/las + noun + más/menos+ adjective

This formula is used to say that someone is “the most” or “the least” of a group.

Los colores más bonitos

In Spanish, it says “the colors most pretty.” In English we would say, “the prettiest

colors” with “est.” Pienso que Mariah es la mejor estudiante. Also, for example, “el peor estudiante,” “la

mejor niña”

Misaki es la persona más inteligente que trabaja aquí.

Misaki is the most intelligent person who works here.

Es la ciudad menos interesante del mundo. It's the least interesting city in the world

What do these phrases say?

la prueba más dificil el informe menos interesante la más difícil de todas los menos interesantes del día.

For more activities click on these links. Read the tutorials and take the quiz on studyspanish.com

Click on number 37 a. basic quiz on the left hand side. Then click on the next link and click on 38a. Click on the last link and it should take you to section 39. Again read the tutorial and take the basic quiz.– http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/inequal.htm– http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/equal.htm– http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/super.htm