Language/French/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives

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◀️ Agreement of Adjectives — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Formation and Use of Adverbs ▶️

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FrenchGrammar0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

In the previous lesson, we learned about the agreement of adjectives in French. We discovered that adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This knowledge is essential for building accurate and descriptive sentences in French. Now, we will continue our exploration of adjectives by diving into the world of comparative and superlative adjectives. These types of adjectives allow us to compare and express the highest degree of a quality. Let's get started!

Comparative Adjectives[edit | edit source]

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things or people. In English, we often add "-er" or use the word "more" before the adjective to create the comparative form. In French, the process is a bit different. Let's take a look at how to form comparative adjectives in French:

1. For short adjectives (one syllable): To form the comparative, we add "-er" to the end of the adjective. However, if the adjective ends with a vowel, we simply add "-r" instead. Here are a few examples:

  • Bon (good) becomes meilleur (better)
  • Petit (small) becomes plus petit (smaller)
  • Grand (big) becomes plus grand (bigger)

2. For longer adjectives (two or more syllables): To form the comparative, we use the word "plus" before the adjective. Here are a few examples:

  • Intéressant (interesting) becomes plus intéressant (more interesting)
  • Difficile (difficult) becomes plus difficile (more difficult)
  • Important (important) becomes plus important (more important)

It's important to note that some adjectives have irregular comparative forms. These exceptions must be memorized. Here are a few examples:

  • Bon (good) becomes meilleur (better)
  • Mauvais (bad) becomes pire (worse)
  • Petit (small) becomes moindre (smaller/lesser)

Now that we know how to form comparative adjectives, let's see how they are used in sentences. In French, we often use the word "que" (than) to compare two things. Here's an example:

  • Pierre est plus grand que Paul. (Pierre is taller than Paul.)

In this sentence, we compare the height of Pierre and Paul using the comparative form of the adjective "grand" (tall). The word "que" indicates the comparison.

Superlative Adjectives[edit | edit source]

Superlative adjectives are used to express the highest degree of a quality. In English, we often add "-est" or use the word "most" before the adjective to create the superlative form. In French, the process is similar to forming comparative adjectives. Let's take a look at how to form superlative adjectives in French:

1. For short adjectives (one syllable): To form the superlative, we add "-est" to the end of the adjective. However, if the adjective ends with a vowel, we simply add "-st" instead. Here are a few examples:

  • Bon (good) becomes le meilleur (the best)
  • Petit (small) becomes le plus petit (the smallest)
  • Grand (big) becomes le plus grand (the biggest)

2. For longer adjectives (two or more syllables): To form the superlative, we use the word "le plus" before the adjective. Here are a few examples:

  • Intéressant (interesting) becomes le plus intéressant (the most interesting)
  • Difficile (difficult) becomes le plus difficile (the most difficult)
  • Important (important) becomes le plus important (the most important)

Just like with comparative adjectives, some adjectives have irregular superlative forms. Here are a few examples:

  • Bon (good) becomes le meilleur (the best)
  • Mauvais (bad) becomes le pire (the worst)
  • Petit (small) becomes le moindre (the smallest/least)

Now that we know how to form superlative adjectives, let's see how they are used in sentences. In French, we often use the word "de" (of) before the noun to indicate the superlative. Here's an example:

  • C'est le meilleur restaurant de la ville. (It's the best restaurant in the city.)

In this sentence, we express that the restaurant is the best in the city using the superlative form of the adjective "bon" (good). The word "de" indicates the superlative.

Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]

Now that we have learned how to form and use comparative and superlative adjectives in French, let's practice what we have learned. Complete the following exercises by filling in the blanks with the correct form of the adjective in parentheses.

1. Cette voiture est _____ (rapide) que celle-ci. 2. C'est la ______ (joli) robe que j'ai jamais vue. 3. Mon frère est _____ (jeune) que moi. 4. Paris est ______ (grand) ville de France. 5. Ce film est ______ (intéressant) que celui que j'ai vu hier.

Answers: 1. Cette voiture est plus rapide que celle-ci. 2. C'est la plus jolie robe que j'ai jamais vue. 3. Mon frère est plus jeune que moi. 4. Paris est la plus grande ville de France. 5. Ce film est plus intéressant que celui que j'ai vu hier.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

In this lesson, we learned how to form and use comparative and superlative adjectives in French. We discovered that the process is similar to English, but with some differences in word usage. Comparative adjectives allow us to compare two things or people, while superlative adjectives express the highest degree of a quality. By mastering these concepts, we can enhance our ability to describe and compare in French. In the next lesson, we will explore the formation and use of adverbs. Keep up the great work!

Videos[edit | edit source]

French Comparative And Superlative // French Grammar Course ...[edit | edit source]

French Comparative with Adjectives - YouTube[edit | edit source]


Sources[edit | edit source]


Other Lessons[edit | edit source]



◀️ Agreement of Adjectives — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Formation and Use of Adverbs ▶️

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