Le comparatif et le superlatif
French comparisons are easy because there's no '-er' / 'more' choice — you just put plus, moins, or aussi before the adjective. Three formulas: more, less, the same. Then you stick le / la / les in front to make a superlative. A handful of irregulars (meilleur, mieux, pire) save you from saying things like 'more good'.
More / less / as: plus, moins, aussi … que
plus + adj/adv + que = more … than. moins + adj/adv + que = less … than. aussi + adj/adv + que = as … as. Marie est plus grande que Pierre. = Marie is taller than Pierre. Le train est moins rapide que l'avion. = The train is less fast than the plane. Tu es aussi grand que moi. = You're as tall as me. The adjective still agrees with the subject: plus grande, moins rapides.
With nouns and verbs
With a noun, use plus de, moins de, autant de + noun + que. J'ai plus de livres que toi. = I have more books than you. Il y a moins de monde aujourd'hui. = There are fewer people today. autant de = as much / as many: J'ai autant d'argent que toi. With a verb, just put plus, moins, or autant after: Je travaille plus que toi. = I work more than you. Elle mange autant que moi. = She eats as much as me.
Irregulars: bon → meilleur, bien → mieux, mauvais → pire
bon (good — adjective) → meilleur (better). Agrees: meilleure, meilleurs, meilleures. Ce gâteau est meilleur que l'autre. = This cake is better than the other. NOT plus bon que. bien (well — adverb) → mieux (better). Doesn't agree (it's an adverb). Tu chantes mieux que moi. = You sing better than me. mauvais (bad) → pire OR plus mauvais — both exist; pire sounds stronger. Mon français est pire que le tien. = My French is worse than yours. Don't say plus bon or plus bien — meilleur and mieux are obligatory.
Superlative: le / la / les plus … (de)
Add the article: le plus, la plus, les plus + adj. = the most. moins works the same. The 'in' part — 'the biggest in the class' — uses de: le plus grand de la classe. Marie est la plus intelligente de la famille. = Marie is the most intelligent in the family. If the adjective normally goes after the noun, the superlative does too, and you repeat the article: le livre le plus intéressant = the most interesting book. With pre-noun adjectives (grand, petit, bon), one article: le plus grand garçon.
Irregular superlatives
Just add the article to the comparative. le meilleur / la meilleure / les meilleurs / les meilleures = the best. C'est le meilleur restaurant de Paris. = It's the best restaurant in Paris. le mieux = the best (adverb). C'est elle qui chante le mieux. = She's the one who sings the best. le pire = the worst. C'est le pire jour de ma vie. = It's the worst day of my life. mieux stays invariable; meilleur and pire agree with their noun.
Adverbs: plus vite, le plus vite
Adverbs work just like adjectives but never agree. Marie court plus vite que Pierre. = Marie runs faster than Pierre. Tu parles moins lentement aujourd'hui. = You're speaking less slowly today. Superlative: le stays invariable for adverbs. Marie court le plus vite. = Marie runs the fastest. Tu parles le plus clairement. = You speak the most clearly. Watch the irregular pair: bien → mieux → le mieux (NOT 'le plus bien').
