Comparing Things: Using Más... Que

This grammar point acts like a balance scale. On one side, you have the first item. In the middle, you have the comparison word. On the other side, you have the second item. The word más means "more." The word que means "than." Unlike English, Spanish is very consistent here. In English, we sometimes add "-er" to words. We say "faster" instead of "more fast." Spanish does not do that. You almost always use más before the adjective. This makes your life much easier. You do not have to learn different endings for every word. Just remember the más... que structure. It is like a universal remote for comparisons. It works for almost every situation you will encounter. Whether you are comparing cars or cats, the logic stays the same.

1. 1Building a comparison sentence follows a clear path. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2. 2Start with the first thing you are talking about.
3. 3Add the verb (usually ser like es or son).
4. 4Place the word más right after the verb.
5. 5Insert the adjective, noun, or adverb you are comparing.
6. 6Add the word que immediately after.
7. 7Finish with the second thing you are comparing.
8. 8Here is a quick visual: [Item A] + [Verb] + más + [Quality] + que + [Item B]. For example: El café + es + más + caliente + que + el té. It is a straight line from start to finish. No hidden traps or weird word jumps here. Just keep the más and que around your central word.

You use this pattern whenever one thing has "more" of a quality. Use it for physical descriptions. For example, "He is taller than me." Use it for prices at the market. "The apples are more expensive than the pears." It is perfect for travel scenarios. "The train is faster than the bus." Use it in job interviews to show off. "I am more organized than other candidates." It also works for abstract ideas. "This book is more interesting than the movie." You can even use it with nouns. "I have more books than you." It is incredibly versatile. If you can imagine a scale, you can use más... que. It is the Swiss Army knife of Spanish adjectives. You will find yourself using it in almost every conversation.

There are a few times when más... que takes a break. Do not use it with numbers in positive sentences. If you want to say "more than five," use más de. For example: Tengo más de cinco dólares. Using que here is a common slip-up. Also, avoid it with the four "special" adjectives. These are "better," "worse," "older," and "younger." Spanish has specific words for these. Do not say más bueno. Say mejor. Do not say más malo. Say peor. Do not say más viejo for people. Say mayor. Do not say más joven for siblings. Say menor. It is like a grammar traffic light. When you see these four qualities, the más light turns red. Stop and use the special word instead. Otherwise, you might sound a bit like a toddler!

The biggest mistake is forgetting the que. Many people stop after the adjective. You must include que to complete the comparison. Another mistake is using como. In English, we say "as... as." In Spanish, that is tan... como. But for "more than," only que works. Do not mix them up! Another trap is adjective agreement. The adjective must match the first thing you mentioned. If you say La gata es más alta que el perro, alta must be feminine. It matches la gata, not el perro. Even native speakers mess this up when they are tired. Just take a breath and check your endings. Finally, watch out for the accent on más. Without the accent, mas means "but." It is a small mark, but it carries a lot of weight. Think of the accent as the "more" symbol.

You should know how this compares to its cousins. Más... que is for "more than." Its opposite is menos... que, which means "less than." They work exactly the same way. If you can use one, you can use the other. Then there is tan... como. This is for when things are equal. "The cat is as big as the dog." Use más when there is a winner. Use tan when it is a tie. Finally, there are superlatives. That is when something is "the most." For that, you add el or la before más. El más alto means "the tallest." Más... que is for comparing two specific things. Superlatives are for comparing one thing to a whole group. It is the difference between a duel and a tournament.