Comparing with adjectives
English has two comparatives: the ending in tall → taller and the word more in more interesting. Spanish has only one. There is no ending: más (more), menos (less) or tan (as) goes in front of any adjective. The adjective still agrees as usual: más alta when talking about a woman.
After que and como comes the subject pronoun: más alta que yo, tan alto como tú. English than me would give que mí, which is wrong.
More than
Mi hermana es más alta que yo.
My sister is taller than me.
El coche es más rápido que la bici.
The car is faster than the bike.
Less than
El español es menos difícil que el alemán.
Spanish is less difficult than German.
Hoy estoy menos cansado que ayer.
I'm less tired today than yesterday.
For not as … as, make the tan pattern negative: no es tan … como.
Just as
Luis es tan inteligente como Sara.
Luis is as intelligent as Sara.
Mi casa no es tan grande como la tuya.
My house is not as big as yours.
Special forms: mejor, peor, mayor, menor
Like English good → better, bad → worse, Spanish has its own forms. They replace más bueno and más malo. In the plural they take -es: mejores, peores.
Special forms
| Adjective | Comparative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bueno (good) | mejor | better |
| malo (bad) | peor | worse |
| grande (big) | mayor | older |
| pequeño (small) | menor | younger |
mayor and menor are for age, like my big brother in English. For physical size it stays más grande and más pequeño. The adverbs bien and mal also become mejor and peor.
Este vino es mejor que el otro.
This wine is better than the other one.
Mi hermano es mayor que yo.
My brother is older than me.
Cocinas mejor que yo.
You cook better than me.
Comparing quantities and actions
In front of a noun or after a verb the same pattern works: más / menos … que. menos covers both fewer and less.
More and less
Tengo más dinero que tú.
I have more money than you.
Trabajo más que tú.
I work more than you.
Duermo menos que antes.
I sleep less than I used to.
For as much and as many: tan is only for adjectives. In front of a noun it is tanto, which agrees with the noun: tanto, tanta, tantos, tantas. After a verb it stays fixed.
tan or tanto?
| Used with | Form |
|---|---|
| Adjective | tan |
| Noun | tanto / tanta / tantos / tantas |
| Verb | tanto |
As much, as many
Tengo tantos libros como tú.
I have as many books as you.
No tengo tanta paciencia como tú.
I don't have as much patience as you.
Estudio tanto como tú.
I study as much as you.
