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Spanish Comparisons Overview
Spanish has three main types of comparisons:
1. Superiority: más... que (more... than)
2. Inferiority: menos... que (less... than)
3. Equality: tan... como (as... as)
Plus superlatives to express "the most" or "the least" of something.
These structures allow you to compare people, places, things, and actions in Spanish.
Examples
María es más alta que Juan.
María is taller than Juan. (superiority)
Este libro es menos interesante que el otro.
This book is less interesting than the other one. (inferiority)
Pedro es tan inteligente como Ana.
Pedro is as intelligent as Ana. (equality)
Comparative of Superiority: Más... que
Use más + adjective + que to express "more... than" or "-er than":
Structure: [Subject] + ser + más + [adjective] + que + [comparison]
This is the most common type of comparison in Spanish.
Basic Superiority Comparisons
The adjective agrees with the subject being described:
Mi casa es más grande que tu casa.
My house is bigger than your house.
Los gatos son más independientes que los perros.
Cats are more independent than dogs.
Esta película es más emocionante que la anterior.
This movie is more exciting than the previous one.
Ella es más trabajadora que él.
She is more hardworking than he is.
Comparing with Numbers
When comparing with numbers, use más de instead of más que:
Tengo más de veinte libros.
I have more than twenty books.
Cuesta más de cien euros.
It costs more than one hundred euros.
Hay más de mil estudiantes.
There are more than a thousand students.
Comparative of Inferiority: Menos... que
Use menos + adjective + que to express "less... than":
Structure: [Subject] + ser + menos + [adjective] + que + [comparison]
This is less common than más... que but equally important.
Examples
Este ejercicio es menos difícil que el anterior.
This exercise is less difficult than the previous one.
Los niños son menos pacientes que los adultos.
Children are less patient than adults.
Mi hermana es menos alta que yo.
My sister is less tall than I am.
Esta ciudad es menos ruidosa que Madrid.
This city is less noisy than Madrid.
Comparative of Equality: Tan... como
Use tan + adjective + como to express "as... as":
Structure: [Subject] + ser + tan + [adjective] + como + [comparison]
This shows that two things are equal in some quality.
Examples
Mi coche es tan rápido como el tuyo.
My car is as fast as yours.
Ella es tan inteligente como su hermano.
She is as intelligent as her brother.
Este problema es tan complicado como el otro.
This problem is as complicated as the other one.
Los estudiantes son tan dedicados como los profesores.
The students are as dedicated as the teachers.
Irregular Comparatives
Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms that don't use más:
Common Irregular Comparatives
These adjectives have special comparative forms:
Irregular Comparatives
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| bueno (good) | mejor | better |
| malo (bad) | peor | worse |
| grande (big) | mayor | bigger/older |
| pequeño (small) | menor | smaller/younger |
| viejo (old) | mayor | older |
| joven (young) | menor | younger |
Este restaurante es mejor que el otro.
This restaurant is better than the other one.
Mi hermana mayor es doctora.
My older sister is a doctor.
El tiempo está peor hoy.
The weather is worse today.
Mi hermano menor tiene quince años.
My younger brother is fifteen years old.
Superlatives: The Most/Least
Superlatives express the highest or lowest degree of a quality. Spanish has two types of superlatives:
Relative Superlative
Use el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective + de to express "the most/least... of/in":
Structure: el/la + (noun) + más/menos + adjective + de + group
María es la más inteligente de la clase.
María is the most intelligent in the class.
Este es el libro más interesante del mundo.
This is the most interesting book in the world.
Son los estudiantes menos perezosos de la escuela.
They are the least lazy students in the school.
Es la ciudad más bella de España.
It is the most beautiful city in Spain.
Irregular Superlatives
Irregular comparatives also have irregular superlative forms:
Irregular Superlatives
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mejor | el/la mejor | the best |
| peor | el/la peor | the worst |
| mayor | el/la mayor | the biggest/oldest |
| menor | el/la menor | the smallest/youngest |
Es el mejor estudiante de la universidad.
He is the best student in the university.
Fue la peor película del año.
It was the worst movie of the year.
Mi hermana mayor vive en Madrid.
My oldest sister lives in Madrid.
Absolute Superlative
Use -ísimo/a/os/as to express "very" or "extremely":
Formation: Remove final vowel + ísimo/a/os/as
Meaning: Expresses extreme degree without comparison
La comida está buenísima.
The food is extremely good/delicious.
Es una película interesantísima.
It is a very interesting movie.
Los exámenes son dificilísimos.
The exams are extremely difficult.
Estoy cansadísima.
I am extremely tired.
Comparing Actions with Adverbs
You can also compare actions using adverbs with the same structures:
más + adverb + que (more... than)
menos + adverb + que (less... than)
tan + adverb + como (as... as)
Examples
Ella habla más rápidamente que él.
She speaks more quickly than he does.
Trabajo menos frecuentemente que antes.
I work less frequently than before.
Canta tan bellamente como un ángel.
She sings as beautifully as an angel.
Estudia mejor que su hermano.
He studies better than his brother.
Common Comparison Mistakes
Here are common mistakes Spanish learners make with comparisons:
Mistake 1: Using "más bueno" instead of "mejor"
Mistake 2: Forgetting "de" in superlatives
Mistake 3: Using "que" with numbers instead of "de"
Mistake 4: Incorrect agreement in superlatives
Avoiding these mistakes will make your Spanish comparisons sound natural.
Examples
❌ más bueno que → ✅ mejor que
Wrong: more good than → Right: better than
❌ el más alto que la clase → ✅ el más alto de la clase
Wrong: the tallest than the class → Right: the tallest in the class
❌ más que cien → ✅ más de cien
Wrong: more than hundred → Right: more than a hundred
❌ la más alto → ✅ la más alta
Wrong: the most tall (f) → Right: the tallest (f)