Irregular Comparative: PEQUENO → MENOR

Most adjectives follow a simple pattern. You just add mais before them. For example, mais feliz means happier. But pequeno does not like this. It prefers to change entirely. It transforms into the word menor. This is similar to English grammar. You don't say 'more small'. You say 'smaller' instead. Portuguese does the exact same thing. Menor is the comparative form. It compares two different objects. It can also compare two people. It even works for abstract ideas. The word menor is gender-neutral. This is great news for you. You don't need to worry about gender. It stays the same for everyone. It only changes for plural items. We will look at that later. For now, focus on the change. Pequeno becomes menor when comparing. It is a quick mental swap.

1. 1Start with the basic adjective pequeno.
2. 2Identify the two things you compare.
3. 3Remove the word pequeno entirely.
4. 4Replace it with the word menor.
5. 5Use que or do que after.
6. 6Place the second object at the end.
7. 7Add an es for plural items.

You use menor in many situations. Imagine you are at a mall. You see two beautiful shirts. One is a size small. The other is even smaller. You tell the clerk it is menor. This helps you get the right fit. Or imagine you are house hunting. You see a cozy studio apartment. You compare it to your current home. You say the studio is menor. It describes the physical space perfectly. You also use it for age. If you have a younger brother, use menor. He is your irmão menor. It is a very common phrase. You can use it for importance too. A menor problem is a small one. It is not a big deal. Use it when ordering food. Maybe you want a smaller juice. Just ask for the menor size. It works for prices as well. A menor price is always better. It is a very versatile word.

Don't use menor for every 'small' thing. If you aren't comparing, use pequeno. 'My dog is small' is meu cão é pequeno. There is no comparison there. Only use menor when comparing two things. Also, avoid it with 'more'. Never say mais menor. That is like saying 'more smaller'. It sounds very strange to natives. It is a common trap for beginners. Just use menor all by itself. In some regions, people say mais pequeno. This happens mostly in Portugal. However, menor is always correct. It is the safest choice for you. If you are in Brazil, stick to menor. It sounds more polished and natural. Don't use it for 'less' either. Use menos for quantities of things. Menor is strictly for size or quality.

Many people try to use gender. They might say menora for girls. This is a big mistake. Menor is the same for everyone. 'The girl is smaller' is a menina é menor. 'The boy is smaller' is o menino é menor. Just keep it simple and easy. Another mistake is the plural form. People forget to add the es. 'The shoes are smaller' is os sapatos são menores. Always match the number of items. A very funny mistake is mais menor. It sounds like a grammar traffic jam. It stops the flow of your speech. Avoid it like a rainy day. Some people use pequeno with que. They say pequeno que instead of menor. This is technically wrong in most contexts. It makes you sound like a toddler. You want to sound like a pro. Stick to the irregular form menor.

Menor has a few famous friends. These are other irregular comparative words. Grande becomes maior for bigger things. Bom becomes melhor for better things. Mau becomes pior for worse things. These four words are a team. They all refuse to use mais. They all change their entire shape. If you learn one, learn them all. They follow the same logic. They are the rebels of Portuguese grammar. Most other adjectives are very boring. They just sit behind the word mais. But these four are special and unique. Menor is the smallest of the group. It is the opposite of maior. They are like two sides of a coin. Use them to describe the whole world.