Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Superlative-forms-of-adjectives"
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<div | <div class="pg_page_title"> Superlative forms of adjectives</div> | ||
In English, adjectives can be used to describe the best or worst of something by adding '-est' or putting 'most' or 'least' in front of them: 'biggest', 'lightest, 'most dangerous', 'least interesting'. These are superlative forms of adjectives. | In English, adjectives can be used to describe the best or worst of something by adding '-est' or putting 'most' or 'least' in front of them: 'biggest', 'lightest, 'most dangerous', 'least interesting'. These are superlative forms of adjectives. | ||
In French the superlative forms of adjectives are created by putting the definite article - le, la, les - in front of the comparative forms: la plus grande voiture 'the biggest car', la plus forte odeur 'the strongest smell'. When adjectives follow the noun, this means that there are two definite articles, one before the noun and one before the comparative form of the adjective: la voiture la plus puissante 'the most powerful car', les virages les plus dangereux 'the most dangerous bends'. Note that the article agrees in gender and number with the noun: | In French the superlative forms of adjectives are created by putting the definite article - le, la, les - in front of the comparative forms: la plus grande voiture 'the biggest car', la plus forte odeur 'the strongest smell'. When adjectives follow the noun, this means that there are two definite articles, one before the noun and one before the comparative form of the adjective: la voiture la plus puissante 'the most powerful car', les virages les plus dangereux 'the most dangerous bends'. Note that the article agrees in gender and number with the noun: | ||
*C'était le plus grand joueur de tous | *C'était le plus grand joueur de tous | ||
He was the greatest player of all | He was the greatest player of all | ||
*Elle est la moins ambitieuse de sa famille | *Elle est la moins ambitieuse de sa famille | ||
She is the least ambitious in her family | She is the least ambitious in her family | ||
*C'est la route la plus dangereuse de la région | *C'est la route la plus dangereuse de la région | ||
It's the most dangerous road in the region | It's the most dangerous road in the region | ||
NB: 'in' after superlative adjectives is usually de: la route la plus dangereuse de la région, la moins malade de sa famille. There are three irregular superlative forms of adjectives which are used productively in French: | NB: 'in' after superlative adjectives is usually de: la route la plus dangereuse de la région, la moins malade de sa famille. There are three irregular superlative forms of adjectives which are used productively in French: | ||
*le/la/les meilleur(e)(s) | *le/la/les meilleur(e)(s) | ||
the best (superlative of bon 'good') | the best (superlative of bon 'good') | ||
*le/la/les pire(s) | *le/la/les pire(s) | ||
the worst (superlative of mauvais 'bad') | the worst (superlative of mauvais 'bad') | ||
*le/la/les moindre(s) | *le/la/les moindre(s) | ||
the least (superlative of petit 'small') | the least (superlative of petit 'small') | ||
Use of meilleur and pire: | Use of meilleur and pire: | ||
*Notre chef de cuisine est le meilleur de la ville | *Notre chef de cuisine est le meilleur de la ville | ||
Our chef is the best in town | Our chef is the best in town | ||
*Elle porte les meilleurs vêtements | *Elle porte les meilleurs vêtements | ||
She wears the best clothes | She wears the best clothes | ||
*Cette solution est la pire des trois proposées | *Cette solution est la pire des trois proposées | ||
This solution is the worst of the three proposed | This solution is the worst of the three proposed | ||
*Le pire, c'était qu'elle voulait revenir | *Le pire, c'était qu'elle voulait revenir | ||
The worst thing was that she wanted to come back | The worst thing was that she wanted to come back | ||
le/la/les moindre(s) is used in semi-fixed expressions, and with abstract nouns: | le/la/les moindre(s) is used in semi-fixed expressions, and with abstract nouns: | ||
*le principe du moindre effort | *le principe du moindre effort | ||
the principle of least effort | the principle of least effort | ||
*Ils ont essayé de suivre la politique du moindre mal | *Ils ont essayé de suivre la politique du moindre mal | ||
They tried to follow the policy which would do the least harm | They tried to follow the policy which would do the least harm | ||
Where concrete nouns are involved, however, le/la/les plus petit(e)(s) is used: | Where concrete nouns are involved, however, le/la/les plus petit(e)(s) is used: | ||
*Il a choisi le plus petit diamant | *Il a choisi le plus petit diamant | ||
He chose the smallest diamond | He chose the smallest diamond | ||
When adjectives which normally precede nouns are used in a superlative form, they may follow the noun they modify on the grounds that they are 'too long' to appear in front of the noun: | When adjectives which normally precede nouns are used in a superlative form, they may follow the noun they modify on the grounds that they are 'too long' to appear in front of the noun: | ||
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*un bref aperçu le plus bref aperçu or l'aperçu le plus bref | *un bref aperçu le plus bref aperçu or l'aperçu le plus bref | ||
a brief outline the briefest outline | a brief outline the briefest outline | ||
*un jeune homme le plus jeune homme or l'homme le plus jeune | *un jeune homme le plus jeune homme or l'homme le plus jeune | ||
a young man the youngest man | a young man the youngest man | ||
<span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages:</span> [[Language/French/Grammar/Possessive-determiners|Possessive determiners]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Omission-of-the-article|Omission of the article]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Emphasizing-the-reciprocal-use-of-se-by-adding-l'un-l'autre|Emphasizing the reciprocal use of se by adding l'un l'autre]] & [[Language/French/Grammar/Easy-future|Easy future]]. | |||
==Videos== | ==Videos== | ||
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<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vAc-__6W3E</youtube> | <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vAc-__6W3E</youtube> | ||
== | ==Other Lessons== | ||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Typical-use-of-demonstrative-determiners|Typical use of demonstrative determiners]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Typical-use-of-demonstrative-determiners|Typical use of demonstrative determiners]] | ||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Coordination-of-stressed-pronouns|Coordination of stressed pronouns]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Coordination-of-stressed-pronouns|Coordination of stressed pronouns]] | ||
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* [[Language/French/Grammar/Plural-of-words-in-"Al"|Plural of words in "Al"]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Plural-of-words-in-"Al"|Plural of words in "Al"]] | ||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Omission-of-the-article-with-nouns-in-apposition|Omission of the article with nouns in apposition]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Omission-of-the-article-with-nouns-in-apposition|Omission of the article with nouns in apposition]] | ||
<span links></span> | |||
Latest revision as of 13:56, 27 March 2023
In English, adjectives can be used to describe the best or worst of something by adding '-est' or putting 'most' or 'least' in front of them: 'biggest', 'lightest, 'most dangerous', 'least interesting'. These are superlative forms of adjectives.
In French the superlative forms of adjectives are created by putting the definite article - le, la, les - in front of the comparative forms: la plus grande voiture 'the biggest car', la plus forte odeur 'the strongest smell'. When adjectives follow the noun, this means that there are two definite articles, one before the noun and one before the comparative form of the adjective: la voiture la plus puissante 'the most powerful car', les virages les plus dangereux 'the most dangerous bends'. Note that the article agrees in gender and number with the noun:
- C'était le plus grand joueur de tous
He was the greatest player of all
- Elle est la moins ambitieuse de sa famille
She is the least ambitious in her family
- C'est la route la plus dangereuse de la région
It's the most dangerous road in the region
NB: 'in' after superlative adjectives is usually de: la route la plus dangereuse de la région, la moins malade de sa famille. There are three irregular superlative forms of adjectives which are used productively in French:
- le/la/les meilleur(e)(s)
the best (superlative of bon 'good')
- le/la/les pire(s)
the worst (superlative of mauvais 'bad')
- le/la/les moindre(s)
the least (superlative of petit 'small')
Use of meilleur and pire:
- Notre chef de cuisine est le meilleur de la ville
Our chef is the best in town
- Elle porte les meilleurs vêtements
She wears the best clothes
- Cette solution est la pire des trois proposées
This solution is the worst of the three proposed
- Le pire, c'était qu'elle voulait revenir
The worst thing was that she wanted to come back
le/la/les moindre(s) is used in semi-fixed expressions, and with abstract nouns:
- le principe du moindre effort
the principle of least effort
- Ils ont essayé de suivre la politique du moindre mal
They tried to follow the policy which would do the least harm
Where concrete nouns are involved, however, le/la/les plus petit(e)(s) is used:
- Il a choisi le plus petit diamant
He chose the smallest diamond
When adjectives which normally precede nouns are used in a superlative form, they may follow the noun they modify on the grounds that they are 'too long' to appear in front of the noun:
- un bref aperçu le plus bref aperçu or l'aperçu le plus bref
a brief outline the briefest outline
- un jeune homme le plus jeune homme or l'homme le plus jeune
a young man the youngest man
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, Emphasizing the reciprocal use of se by adding l'un l'autre & Easy future.
Videos[edit | edit source]
Superlative in French - YouTube[edit | edit source]
French Comparative And Superlative // French Grammar Course ...[edit | edit source]
FRENCH LESSON - THE SUPERLATIVE - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Typical use of demonstrative determiners
- Coordination of stressed pronouns
- Function of adverbs
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Kings, queens and popes
- Use of il, ce, cela and ça as impersonal pronouns
- Agreement with a preceding direct object in a relative clause when the participle is followed by an infinitive
- Nouns
- How to use falloir
- Common Mistakes
- Easy way of generating the present tense
- Pronouns referring to groups of mixed gender
- Subject verb agreement — Agreement with more than one subject
- Indefinite article
- Plural of words in "Al"
- Omission of the article with nouns in apposition