superlatives and comparatives

COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

A.COMPARISONS OF INEQUALITIES

1. Más + adjective or adverb + que :

Esos candidatos son más populares *que* el mismo presidente.	Those candidates are more popular than the president.
El asunto está más claro que el agua.	The issue is crystal clear.
Marcela vota más a menudo que su esposo.	Marcela votes more often than her husband.

2. Menos + adjective or adverb + que :

Soy menos conservador que tú.	I am less conservative than you.
Esta camisa es de menos calidad que la de Sebastian.	This shirt is less quality than Sebastian's.
En Bogotá (Colombia) hace menos frío que en La Paz (Bolivia).	Bogota is less colder than La Paz.

3. Más ( + noun + ) que for more ( + noun + ) than; menos ( + noun + ) que for less ( + noun + ) than:

González recibió más votos que Pérez.	González received more votes than Pérez.
Andrés tiene menos balones de fútbol que Jacinto.	Andrés has less soccer balls than Jacinto.

4. Before a number, de is used instead of que to mean than:

Hay másde dos libras en un kilogramo.	There are more than two pounds in a Kilogram.
Másde 750.000 vascos viven en España.	More than 750,000 Basques live in Spain.

However, no ... más que before a number means only:

Cómo? González no recibió más que 42.000 votos?	What? González only received 42,000 votes?
Mario no dió más que tres tareas para semana santa.	Mario gave only three homeworks for Holy Week.

5. Negatives ( not affirmatives as in English) are used after que in comparisons:

Necesitamos paz y seguridad ahora más que nunca.	We need peace and security now more than ever.
Juanita admira al presidente más que a nadie.	Juanita admires the president more than anyone.

B. COMPARISONS OF EQUALITY

1. Tan + adjective (adverb) + como means as ..... as:

Esperanza será tan vieja como Carmenza	Esperanza must be as old as Carmenza
Eva traerá la sopa tan pronto como sea posible	Eva will bring the soap as soon as possible
Uno es tan joven como sus ilusiones y tan viejo como sus recuerdos	One is as young as one's illusions and as old as one's memories

Notice the agreement of the adjective with the noun (s) before tan; the adjective agrees with the first noun (s) mentioned:

Marisa es tanlista como Eduardo	Marisa is as clever as Eduardo
Eduardo y Paco son taninteligentes como Marisa	Eduardo y Paco son tan inteligentes como Marisa

2. Tanto ( a, os, as) before a noun means as much (many) or so much (many); it agrees with the nouns it modifies. Tanto como means as much as and does not show agreement:

La Argentina tiene tantas opiniones políticas como habitantes	Argentina has as many political opinions as inhabitants
Hay tanta gente aquí en la manifestación	There are so many people here at the demonstration
Nadie exagera tanto como mi adversario	No one exagerates as much as my opponent

3. Tan can also mean so

Es tan bueno ese comercial!	That comercial is so good!
Habló tan bien	He (she) spoke so well!

C. SUPERLATIVES

Use of Superlatives

The superlative of inequality (most, -est, least) is formed with the article + más or menos.

Ese edificio es el más alto

That building is the tallest

The preposition de follows the adjective when the comparison is stated rather than understood.

Ese edificio es el más alto de la ciudad

That building is the tallest in the city

The comparative forms of the adjectives bueno, malo, grande, and pequeño are irregular

1. Bueno/Mejor:

Ese libro es bueno, pero éste es mejor

That book is good, but this one isbetter

2. Malo/Peor:

Esta calle es mala, pero aquella es peor

This street is bad, but that one is worst

3. Grande/Mayor:

Andrés es grande	Andres is physically *large*
Andrés tiene 10 años. Julian es mayor que él	Andres is 10 years old. Julian is *older* than him

4. Pequeño/Menor:

Daniel es pequeño	Daniel is phisically *small*
Daniel tiene 22 años, pero Luis es menor que él	Daniel is 22 years old, but Luis is *younger* than him

As with other adjectives, the superlative of inequality is formed by the appropiate article + adjective (+ de if the comparison is stated)

Este cuadro es el mejor

This painting is the best

Este muchacho es el peor

That guy is the worst

María es la mayor de las hermanas

María is the oldest of the sisters

An adjective can be intensified by the addition of muy:

Esa mujer es bonita	That woman is pretty
Esa mujer es muy bonita	That woman is *very* pretty

Another way this can be done is by turning the adjective itself into an absolute one. You can do this by adding the suffixes –ísimo, -ísima, -ísimos, -ísimas

Alto	*Alt ísimo*	Very Tall
Viejo	*Viej ísimo*	Very Old
Sucio	*Sucí simo*	Very Dirty

For example:

El edificio está *altísimo*	The building is very big
La casa está *sucísima*	The house is very durty

* Note that the superlative agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies

Adjectives ending in a vowel or in a diphthong form, drop the last vowel or the diphthong, and add the –ísimo endings

Rojo (Red)	Rojísimo (very red)
Feo (Ugly)	Feísimo (Very ugly; disgusting)
Guapo (Cute)	Guapísimo (Very cute)

Adjectives ending in –ca and -co, the –c will change to –qu. Adjectives ending in -ga, -go, the -g will change to –gu

Blanca (White)	Blanquísimo (Very white)
Largo (Long)	Larguísimo (Very long)
Rico (Tasty)	Riquísimo (Delicious)
Amargo (Bitter)	Amarguísimo (Too bitter)
Práctico (Practical)	Practiquísimo (Very practical)

Adjectives that end in consonants just add the –ísimo (-os), -a (-as), ending to the adjetive form

Fácil	Facilísimo
Util	Utilísimo
Difícil	Dificilísimo

But, a final consonant –z will change to –c:

Feliz	Felicísimo
Feroz	Ferocísimo

Created by Silvana Mendez
Foreign Language Lab / University of Houston