Comparisons

Arturo duerme menos que su padre.

Arturo sleeps less than his father (does).

Adjective - grande (grown, adult)

Comparative - mayor (older)

Adjective - vieja/a (old)

Comparative - mayor (older)

Adjective - bueno/a (good)

Comparative - mejor (better

Adjective - joven (young)

Comparative - menor (younger)

Adjective - pequeño/a (young)

Comparative - menor (younger)

Adjective - malo/a (bad)

Comparative - peor (worse)

Note

Comparisons of equality with verbs are formed by placing tanto como after the verb. Note that in this construction tanto does not change in number or gender. (verb + tanto como)

Comparisons of inequality

Comparisons of inequality are formed by placing más (more) or menos (less) before adjectives, adjectives, adverbs, and nouns and que (than) after them. más/menos + adjective, adverb, or noun + que

No estudio tanto como Felipe.

I don't study as much as Felipe (does).

Me acuesto más tarde que tú.

I go to bed later than you (do). (adverbs)

Pedí un plato más pequeño.

I ordered a smaller dish.

Yo probé tanto platos como él.

I tried as many dishes as he did.

Llego en menos de diez minutos.

I'll be there in less than ten minutes

Yo soy menor que tú.

I'm younger than you.

Juan prepara más platos que José.

Juan prepares more dishes than José (does). (noun)

Julio nada mejor que los otros chicos.

Julio swims better than the other boys.

Luis se despierta menos temprano que yo.

Luis wakes up less early than I (do). (adverbs)

Mis hermanos comen más que yo.

My brothers eat more than I (do).

Irregular Comparisons

Note that some adjectives have irregular comparative forms.

¡Atención!

Note that unlike tan, tanto acts as an adjective and therefore agrees in number and gender with the noun it modifies.

¡Atención!

Note that while english has a comparative form for short adjectives (taller), such forms do not exist in spanish (más alto)

Los bistecs son más caros que el pollo.

Steaks are more expensive than chicken. (adjective)

Susana eats less meat than Enrique (does).

Susana eats less meat than Enrique (does). (noun)

Note:

Tan and tanto can also be use for emphasis, rather than to compare, with these meanings: tan so, tanto so much, tantos/as so many.

Hay más de cincuenta naranjas.

There are more than fifty oranges.

Estas uvas son tan ricas como aquéllas.

These grapes are as tasty as those ones (are).

Estas uvas son menos ricas que esa pera.

These grapes are less tasty than that pear. (adjective)

¡Preparan tantos platos!

They prepare so many dishes!

Ellas cantan peor que las otras chicas.

They sing worse than the other girls.

Ellos hablan tanto como mis hermanas.

They talk as much as my sisters.

Comparisons of equality

This construction is used to make comparison of equality. tan + adjective or adverb + como OR tanto/a(s) + singular noun or plural noun + como

What construction is used to make comparisons of inequality?

Verb + más/menos que

Sabemos tanto como ustedes.

We know as much as you (do).

Note:

When grande and pequeño/a refer to age, the irregular comparative forms mayor and menor, are used. However, when these adjectives refer to size, the regular forms, más grande and más pequeño/a, are used. Also the adverbs bien and mal have the same irregular comparative forms as the adjectives bueno/a and malo/a.

Note:

When the comparison involves a numerical expression, de is used before the number instead of que.

¡Comes tantas manzanas!

You eat so many apples!

¡Comes tanto!

You eat so much!

Tú viajas tanto como mi tía.

You travel as much as my aunt (does).

¡Tu almuerzo es tan grande!

Your lunch is so big!

tan sabroso como

as delicious as

más grande

bigger

Ante todo

both Spanish and english use comparisons to indicate which of two people or things has a lesser, equal, or greater degree of a quality.

Menos interesante

less interesting