Comparatives: plus...que, moins...que, aussi...que

The magic happens in a three-part structure. We call it the comparison sandwich. You take an adjective—like grand (big) or cher (expensive)—and you wrap it in two specific words. The first word tells us the direction of the comparison. Is it more? Is it less? Is it the same? The second word is always que. In this context, que means "than" or "as."

• To say "more... than," use plus ... que.
• To say "less... than," use moins ... que.
• To say "as... as," use aussi ... que.

It’s a very logical system. If you want to say a cat is more independent than a dog, you just slot "independent" into the plus... que structure. No weird endings to memorize for the comparison words themselves. Just remember that the adjective in the middle still has to behave. It must agree with the first thing you are talking about. If you're comparing two girls, that adjective needs an e. It’s like a grammar mirror.

1. 1Building a sentence with comparatives is like following a simple recipe. Here is the step-by-step breakdown:
2. 2Start with Subject A: This is the thing you are describing first. (e.g., Le train)
3. 3Add your Verb: Usually, this is the verb être (to be). (Le train est)
4. 4Pick your Comparative Word: plus, moins, or aussi. (Le train est plus)
5. 5Add your Adjective: Make sure it matches Subject A in gender and number. (Le train est plus rapide)
6. 6Add the Bridge: Use que. If the next word starts with a vowel, use qu'. (Le train est plus rapide que)
7. 7End with Subject B: The thing you are comparing it to. (Le train est plus rapide que la voiture)
8. 8Think of it like a seesaw. Subject A is on one side, and Subject B is on the other. The comparative words in the middle tell us which way the seesaw is tipping. If you use aussi, the seesaw stays perfectly flat.

You will use this constantly in daily life. Imagine you are at a market in Provence. You see two crates of strawberries. One is 5 euros, the other is 3 euros. You tell your friend, Ces fraises sont plus chères que celles-là (These strawberries are more expensive than those).

In a job interview, you might want to sound confident. You could say you are plus organisé que (more organized than) your previous self. Or perhaps you're choosing a movie. You might argue that the new comedy is moins ennuyeux que (less boring than) the documentary your friend wants to watch.

It’s also essential for travel. You’ll compare flight times, hotel prices, and the distance between museums. Le Louvre est plus grand que le Musée d'Orsay. (The Louvre is bigger than the Orsay Museum). It’s the bread and butter of making choices and sharing opinions.

There are a few places where this pattern hits a red light. First, don't use it for quantities or nouns. If you want to say "more books," this isn't the rule for you (you’d need plus de). This rule is strictly for adjectives and adverbs.

Second, watch out for the "irregulars." French has a few special words that refuse to follow the plus rule. You can’t say plus bon (more good). That’s a one-way ticket to sounding like a toddler. Instead, you must use meilleur. Similarly, for the adverb bien, you use mieux.

Finally, avoid using aussi when you are comparing verbs. If you want to say "I work as much as you," you use autant. Aussi is strictly the "Equality King" for adjectives and adverbs only.

The most frequent trip-up is forgetting the second half of the sandwich. Learners often say Il est plus grand Paul. No! You need that que. It’s the glue that holds the comparison together.

Another big one is adjective agreement. If a woman says "I am taller than him," she must say Je suis plus grande que lui. Even though she's comparing herself to a man, the adjective grande must be feminine because *she* is the subject.

Then there's the qu' mistake. French hates two vowels touching. If you compare something to elle or un avion, que must become qu'. Il est plus âgé qu'elle.

Lastly, avoid the "English influence" of adding -er to words. There is no French version of "faster" or "smaller" as a single word. You *must* use the plus + adjective formula every single time.

Don't confuse comparatives with superlatives. Comparatives compare two things (plus... que). Superlatives talk about the "most" or "least" of everything (le plus, la plus). If you say Ma voiture est plus rapide que la tienne, you’re comparing two cars. If you say Ma voiture est la plus rapide, you’re bragging that no other car can beat you.

Also, keep an eye on autant. As mentioned, autant is for nouns and verbs.

• Adjective: Il est aussi grand que moi. (He is as tall as me.)
• Noun: Il a autant d'argent que moi. (He has as much money as me.)

Think of aussi as the adjective specialist and autant as the everything-else specialist.