Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between two things. In Spanish, you can say someone or something is more, less, or as _ as another.
Types of Comparisons
More… than (más… que)
Used to say something has a higher degree of a quality.
- Ella es más alta que su hermano.
- This means: She is taller than her brother.
Less… than (menos… que)
Used to say something has a lower degree of a quality.
- El coche es menos rápido que el avión.
- This means: The car is less fast than the plane.
As… as (tan… como)
Used to say two things are equal in a quality.
- Carlos es tan inteligente como Ana.
- This means: Carlos is as intelligent as Ana.
Grammar Rules
Placement
- The adjective comes after más, menos, or tan.
- The word que (than) or como (as) follows the adjective.
Agreement
- Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
- Example: Ella es más alta (feminine singular).
- Example: Ellos son más altos (masculine plural).
Sentence Structure
- [Subject] + [verb] + [más/menos/tan] + [adjective] + [que/como] + [comparison].
Special Comparisons
Better, worse, older, younger
Spanish has irregular comparatives for some common adjectives:
These do not follow the más / menos rule and are used on their own.
| Spanish |
|---|
| mejor (que) |
| English |
| Example Sentence |
| Este libro es mejor que el otro. |
As… as (tanto… como) – for nouns
To compare equality with nouns, use tanto(s)/tanta(s) … como.
- Tiene tanta paciencia como su madre.
- Ellos tienen tantos libros como nosotros.
Examples
| Spanish Sentence |
|---|
| María es más alta que Juan. |
| English Translation |
| Comparison Type |
| más… que |
Summary
- Use más… que to say “more… than.”
- Use menos… que to say “less… than.”
- Use tan… como to say “as… as” (for adjectives).
- Use tanto(s)/tanta(s) … como to say “as much/many… as” (for nouns).
- Remember adjective agreement in gender and number.
- Learn irregular comparatives: mejor, peor, mayor, menor.
- Follow the correct word order: subject + verb + (más/menos/tan) + adjective + (que/como) + comparison.
Comparative adjectives help you describe differences and similarities clearly in Spanish.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025