Superlative - Le Plus, Le Moins

Think of the superlative as the "Final Boss" of comparisons. When you use a comparative, you say one thing is better than another. But with the superlative, you say it is the best. Period. To do this, you just take your basic comparison words—plus (more) and moins (less)—and put a definite article in front of them. That article is le, la, or les. It is like a little crown you put on the sentence to show who is #1. If you are talking about a boy, use le. A girl? Use la. A group of friends? Use les. It is all about the company the adjective keeps.

1. 1Creating this is a three-step dance.
2. 2Pick your article: le, la, or les based on the noun.
3. 3Add the power word: plus for the most, or moins for the least.
4. 4Add the adjective: Use the word that describes the thing (big, small, fast).
5. 5If the adjective usually comes after the noun, you have to repeat the article. For example: La pizza la plus chère (The pizza the most expensive). Yes, French loves to double up on the articles. It might feel like you are stuttering at first. Don't worry, it's totally normal. Just think of it as extra emphasis for your very strong opinion.

Use this when you are making a definitive judgment. It is perfect for TripAdvisor reviews. "This is the most beautiful hotel!" use le plus beau. It is great for job interviews. "I am the most motivated candidate!" use le plus motivé. You will also need it for those dramatic moments in life. "This is the least helpful map I have ever seen!" use le moins utile. Basically, if you are ranking anything from 1 to 10 and only talking about the ends of the scale, this is your tool. It turns your observations into facts (or at least very loud opinions).

Do not use this if you are only comparing two things. If you have two dogs and one is faster, use the comparative (plus rapide que). Save the superlative for when you have three or more dogs. Also, watch out for adverbs. When you use the superlative with an adverb (like "slowly" or "well"), the article is always le. It doesn't change to la or les. For example, Elle court le plus vite (She runs the fastest). Even though she is a girl, vite is an adverb, so le stays masculine. It is one of those tiny quirks that makes French feel like a puzzle.

The biggest trap is the word "good." In English, we don't say "the most good." We say "the best." French is the same. Never say le plus bon. That is a one-way ticket to making your French teacher wince. Instead, use le meilleur. Another classic slip-up is forgetting to agree with the noun. If you are talking about les voitures (the cars), make sure you use les plus rapides. If you forget that extra s, the sentence feels naked. Finally, remember the double article. If you say la pizza plus chère, it just means "the more expensive pizza." You need that second la to make it "the MOST expensive."

It is easy to confuse the Superlative with the Comparative. The Comparative says "X is more than Y." It always uses que. The Superlative says "X is the most of all." It usually uses de to define the group. For example: Marc est plus grand que Paul (Marc is taller than Paul). But: Marc est le plus grand de la classe (Marc is the tallest of the class). Notice how the que disappears and the le appears. Think of le/la/les as the "The" that makes it a superlative. Without it, you are just comparing; with it, you are crowning a winner.