Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adjectives in French)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard , HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2023-01-23

Comparing characteristics using adjectives (He is taller/shorter... than her) is different from comparing actions or things.

How to make comparisons with adjectives in French

Have a look at the sentences:

Jean est plus petit que son frèreJohn is shorter/younger than his brother

Mon père reste moins compréhensif que ma mère.My father is still less understanding than my mother.

Marie est aussi timide que sa mèreMarie is as shy as her mother

Note that to compare adjectives (nice, big, ...), you use comparative words as follows:

English	French
more [adjective] than [adjective]-er than	plus [adjectif] que
less [adjective] than	moins [adjectif] que
as [adjective] as	aussi [adjectif] que

The adjective needs to agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to:

Aurélie est plus grande que Marie.Aurélie is taller than Marie.

Les hommes sont moins patients que les femmes.Men are less patient than women.

Mes soeurs sont aussi paresseuses que moi.My sisters are as lazy as I.

Whereas in English, you will need to use a subject pronoun after than (... than I (do), you (do), he/she (does)...), in French you will once again use the stress pronoun after que (... que moi, toi, lui/elle, nous, vous, eux/elles). You will also never repeat the verb with (do/am/have) afterwards.

Alice est plus grande que je suis moi.
Alice is taller than I am.

See also other Comparative structures:

Plus... plus..., moins... moins... = the more...the more..., the less...the less... (comparisons with phrases)
Better and better, worse and worse = de mieux en mieux, de pire en pire (Comparisons in French)
De plus en plus / De moins en moins + [adverbe/adjectif/verbe] = more and more / less and less + [adverb/adjective/verb] (Comparisons in French)
De plus en plus de / de moins en moins de + [nom] = more and more / less and less + [nouns] (Comparisons in French)
Plus de ... que/Moins de ... que/Autant de ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As much/many ... as (Comparisons with Nouns in French)
Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adverbs in French)
Plus que/Moins que/Autant que = More than/Less than/As much as (Comparisons with Verbs in French)

And for Superlative forms, see:

Le/la/les plus and Le/la/les moins = The most and the least (Superlative with Adjectives in French)
Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)
Le plus/Le moins = The most/the least (Superlative with Adverbs in French)
Forming the superlative of French adjectives in complex cases

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Examples and resources

Je crois que j'ai eu les yeux plus gros que le ventre !I think my eyes were bigger than my belly!