Comparative - Plus, Moins, Aussi

In English, we often add "-er" to short words (like "faster") or use "more" for long ones. French is much kinder to your brain. It uses a single, consistent system for almost every word. You don't have to count syllables or worry about word length here. You just need three magic words: plus (+), moins (-), and aussi (=). You place one of these before your adjective. Then, you place the word que after it. It works like a grammar sandwich. The adjective is the delicious filling. The comparison words are the bread holding it all together. This structure stays the same whether you are talking about a tiny snail or a massive skyscraper. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes, so don't sweat the small stuff yet. Just remember the sandwich rule and you are halfway there.

1. 1Creating a comparison in French follows a very logical path. Follow these four steps to build your sentence:
2. 2Choose your direction: Do you want more (plus), less (moins), or the same (aussi) intensity?
3. 3Pick your adjective: Remember that your adjective must still agree with the noun (gender and number).
4. 4Add the connector: Use que to link your first item to the second one. If the next word starts with a vowel, use qu'.
5. 5Complete the thought: Mention the second person or thing you are comparing.
6. 6Here is the basic blueprint: [Subject] + [Verb] + [plus / moins / aussi] + [Adjective] + [que] + [Comparison Target]. For example: Le café est plus chaud que le thé. It’s like a grammar traffic light. Green means more, red means less, and yellow means equal. Simple, right?

You will find yourself using these patterns in almost every social scenario. Imagine you are at a French market. You see two crates of strawberries. One looks much fresher. You would say they are plus fraîches que the others. Or maybe you are at a job interview. You want to say you are aussi motivé que the other candidates. It is essential for shopping, too. You might tell a shopkeeper that a shirt is moins cher que the one in the window. Use it when you travel to compare hotel rooms or flight times. Use it in restaurants to decide which dish sounds better. It’s also great for social life. You can talk about which movie was plus drôle or which bar is moins bruyant. It gives you the nuance you need to be interesting.

There are a few moments where this regular pattern takes a break. The biggest one is the word "good." In French, you never say plus bon. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard to a Frenchman. Instead, use the special word meilleur. It’s the same as saying "better" instead of "gooder" in English. Also, be careful with the word "well." For adverbs, plus bien becomes mieux. Another trap is when you are comparing quantities of things (nouns) rather than descriptions. If you have more coffee, don't just say plus café. You need plus de café. This lesson focuses on adjectives, so keep your plus, moins, and aussi for descriptions only. Finally, don't use this if you're talking about the "most" or "least" of everything (superlatives). That’s a slightly different structure involving the word le or la.

The most frequent slip-up is forgetting the second half of the sandwich. Many learners say plus grand and then forget the que. Without que, the sentence just hangs there waiting for a conclusion. Another classic mistake is adjective agreement. If you are comparing two women, your adjective must be feminine. For example: Marie est plus grande que Sophie. Don't forget the extra 'e'! Pronunciation can also be tricky. For plus followed by a consonant adjective, the 's' is usually silent. So, plus grand sounds like "ploo gran." However, if the adjective starts with a vowel, you often make a "z" sound connection (liaison). A big one for English speakers is using aussi for everything. Remember that aussi is only for "as... as" with adjectives. If you are comparing how much someone works, you need autant.

It is easy to mix up comparing "qualities" with comparing "quantities." Use plus + Adjective when describing someone (e.g., plus intelligent). Use plus de + Noun when talking about stuff (e.g., plus de livres). It’s the difference between being smarter and having more books. There is also a difference between aussi and autant. Think of aussi as the partner for adjectives (He is as tall as...) and autant as the partner for nouns or verbs (He works as much as...). Finally, don't confuse the comparative with the superlative. Plus grand que means taller than someone. Le plus grand means the tallest person in the room. One is a match between two rivals; the other is a victory over everyone else.