Understanding Comparative Adverbs
French comparative adverbs allow you to compare actions or degrees of actions between different subjects. They follow similar patterns to comparative adjectives but modify verbs instead of nouns.
There are three types of adverb comparisons:
Superiority: more than (plus...que)
Inferiority: less than (moins...que)
Equality: as...as (aussi...que)
These comparisons are essential for expressing preferences and making distinctions between how actions are performed.
Examples
Il parle plus lentement que moi. (He speaks more slowly than me.)
Superiority comparison with adverbs
Elle travaille moins efficacement que lui. (She works less efficiently than him.)
Inferiority comparison with adverbs
Tu chantes aussi bien que Marie. (You sing as well as Marie.)
Equality comparison with adverbs
Superiority: Plus...Que (More Than)
To express that an action is performed more intensely or frequently, use plus + adverb + que:
Examples
Il court plus vite que son frère. (He runs faster than his brother.)
Comparing speed of action
Elle travaille plus sérieusement que nous. (She works more seriously than us.)
Comparing manner of action
Formation with Regular Adverbs
How to form superiority comparisons:
Plus + Adverb + Que
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| plus vite que | faster than | Il court plus vite que moi. |
| plus souvent que | more often than | Elle sort plus souvent que lui. |
| plus facilement que | more easily than | Tu comprends plus facilement que nous. |
| plus clairement que | more clearly than | Il explique plus clairement que le prof. |
With Long Adverbs
Superiority works well with longer adverbs:
Elle parle plus couramment que moi. (She speaks more fluently than me.)
Il travaille plus efficacement que nous. (He works more efficiently than us.)
Inferiority: Moins...Que (Less Than)
To express that an action is performed less intensely or frequently, use moins + adverb + que:
Examples
Il parle moins fort que toi. (He speaks less loudly than you.)
Comparing volume of speech
Elle vient moins souvent que avant. (She comes less often than before.)
Comparing frequency
Common Moins...Que Patterns
Frequently used inferiority comparisons:
Tu dors moins bien que d'habitude. (You sleep less well than usual.)
Il mange moins rapidement que sa sœur. (He eats less quickly than his sister.)
Nous travaillons moins dur que l'année dernière. (We work less hard than last year.)
Elle conduit moins prudemment que lui. (She drives less carefully than him.)
Equality: Aussi...Que (As...As)
To express that actions are performed equally, use aussi + adverb + que:
Examples
Il chante aussi bien que sa mère. (He sings as well as his mother.)
Equal level of singing ability
Elle travaille aussi dur que nous. (She works as hard as us.)
Equal level of work intensity
Aussi...Que Examples
Common equality comparisons with adverbs:
Aussi + Adverb + Que
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| aussi bien que | as well as | Tu parles aussi bien que lui. |
| aussi vite que | as fast as | Elle court aussi vite que moi. |
| aussi souvent que | as often as | Il vient aussi souvent que toi. |
| aussi clairement que | as clearly as | Elle explique aussi clairement que le prof. |
Irregular Comparative Adverbs
Some adverbs have irregular comparative forms that don't use plus/moins/aussi:
BIEN → MIEUX (Well → Better)
The adverb "bien" becomes "mieux" in comparisons:
Il chante mieux que moi. (He sings better than me.)
Not "plus bien" - use mieux
Elle va mieux aujourd'hui. (She's doing better today.)
Mieux can be used alone
Tu parles français mieux que l'année dernière. (You speak French better than last year.)
Comparing improvement over time
MAL → PIRE/PLUS MAL (Badly → Worse)
The adverb "mal" can become "pire" or use "plus mal":
Il chante pire que moi. (He sings worse than me.)
Using pire for worse
Elle conduit plus mal que lui. (She drives worse than him.)
Using plus mal for worse
PEU → MOINS (Little → Less)
The adverb "peu" uses "moins" in comparisons:
Il dort moins que moi. (He sleeps less than me.)
Not "plus peu" - use moins
Comparative Adverbs with Quantities
When comparing quantities or amounts with adverbs, use special forms:
Examples
Il mange plus que moi. (He eats more than me.)
Comparing quantity of eating
Elle travaille moins que nous. (She works less than us.)
Comparing amount of work
Plus/Moins with Verbs
Using plus/moins directly with verbs:
Je dors plus que toi. (I sleep more than you.)
Tu études moins que lui. (You study less than him.)
Elle sort autant que nous. (She goes out as much as us.)
Using autant for equal quantities
Superlative Adverbs
To express the highest or lowest degree, use le plus/le moins + adverb:
Examples
C'est lui qui chante le mieux. (He's the one who sings the best.)
Superlative with irregular mieux
Elle travaille le plus efficacement. (She works the most efficiently.)
Superlative with regular adverb
Superlative Formation
How to form superlative adverbs:
Superlative Adverbs
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| le plus + adverb | the most | Il court le plus vite. (He runs the fastest.) |
| le moins + adverb | the least | Elle parle le moins fort. (She speaks the least loudly.) |
| le mieux | the best | Tu chantes le mieux. (You sing the best.) |
| le pire | the worst | Il conduit le pire. (He drives the worst.) |
Comparative Expressions and Idioms
Common expressions using comparative adverbs:
Examples
de mieux en mieux (better and better)
Il parle français de mieux en mieux. (He speaks French better and better.)
de plus en plus (more and more)
Elle travaille de plus en plus dur. (She works harder and harder.)
Progressive Comparisons
Expressions showing progression:
de moins en moins (less and less): Il sort de moins en moins. (He goes out less and less.)
de pire en pire (worse and worse): Ça va de pire en pire. (It's getting worse and worse.)
Common Comparative Adverb Mistakes
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. Using plus bien: Using plus bien instead of mieux
2. Wrong structure: Incorrect word order in comparisons
3. Missing que: Forgetting que in comparative structures
4. Adjective confusion: Using adjective comparatives with adverbs
Examples
❌ Il chante plus bien → ✅ Il chante mieux
Wrong: bien becomes mieux, not plus bien
❌ Il plus vite court → ✅ Il court plus vite
Wrong: adverb goes after verb
❌ Il court plus vite moi → ✅ Il court plus vite que moi
Wrong: must include que in comparisons
❌ Il court plus rapide → ✅ Il court plus rapidement
Wrong: use adverb rapidement, not adjective rapide