Comparative & Superlative Forms of Adverbs

 

Comparisons of Equality & Inequality

The following structures are used to express comparisons of equality or inequality:

Vous ne buvez pas autant que lui. (autant qualifies verb)

You don’t drink as much as him.

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Il faudra le récompenser davantage. (davantage qualifies verb)

He’ll have to be rewarded more/given a greater reward.

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Cette voiture roule aussi rapidement que l’autre. (aussi qualifies adverb in positive statement)

This car goes as fast as the other.

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Il ne m’écrit pas si/aussi souvent que vous. (si or aussi qualifies adverb in negative statement)

He doesn’t write to me as often as you do.

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Plus j’étudie ce livre, plus j’admire l’auteur. (plus introduces each clause)

The more I study this book, the more I admire the author.

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Comparative Forms

The comparative form of the adverb is made by putting plus before the regular form:

Ce mot s’emploie plus couramment. | This word is more commonly used.

The adverb mal has the regular comparative form plus mal:

Mon oncle va plus mal. | My uncle is feeling/getting worse.

There are several common irregular comparative forms:

beaucoup | much	plus | more
bien | well	mieux | better
peu | little	moins | less

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Superlative Forms

The superlative forms of the adverb is made by putting le before the comparative form. This applies to regular and irregular comparative forms. Since adverbs are invariable, le is used irrespective of the gender/sex and number of the subject of the verb.

Ma nièce a tout mangé le plus vite possible.

My niece ate everything as quickly as possible.

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Les magasins vendaient ces articles le plus cher possible.

The shops sold these items at the highest price they could.

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Wow, first day of June! Fast year this has been so far. I hope you all are doing well!

Merci à vous !

Courtney

 

The Superlative

In English, the superlative is expressed by adding -est to an adjective or adverb (ex: small → smallest; slow → slowest), or by adding the words “most” or “least” in front of the adjective or adverb (ex: beautiful → most beautiful; happy → least happy).

The superlative in French is expressed by placing the definite article and the words plus or moins in front of the adjective or adverb.

• Je crois que c’est la région la plus pittoresque du pays.
• I think that this is the most picturesque region in the country.

• Eric est le plus grand élève de la classe.
• Eric is the tallest student in the class.

• Aurélie lit le plus vite.
• Aurélie reads the fastest.

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The form of the definite article (le, la, les) used depends upon the noun which follows, to which the adjective refers and with which it agrees in gender and number. However, the article is always le in adverbial superlative expressions.

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Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms

The comparative and superlative forms of the adjective bon (good) and the comparative of the adverb bien (well) are irregular in both French and English.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Adjective	Bon (good)	Meilleur (better, masculine)	Le meilleur (the best, masculine)
		Meilleure (better, feminine)	La meilleure (the best, feminine)
Adverb	Bien (well)	Mieux (better)	Le mieux (the best)

• Si nous allions à un meilleur restaurant, nous mangerions mieux.
• If we went to a better restaurant, we would eat better.

• Félicitations, je te souhaite le mieux !
• Congratulations, I wish you the best!

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Happy first day of December! As we get closer to wrapping up this year, I’d like to hear from you guys – what you like, what you don’t like, what you’d like to see more of. I want to make this blog work for everyone and their needs.

Merci à vous !

Courtney

Opposites

Les Opposés

Here are some sentences where we compare opposites using various words.

• J’aime le poisson et les frites / Je n’aime ni le poisson ni les frites — I like fish and fries / I don’t like neither fish nor fries
• J’aime quelqu’un / Je n’aime personne — I like someone / I don’t like anybody 
• Je vois quelque chose / Je ne vois rien — I see something / I see nothing
• Je travaille encore / Je ne travaille plus — I am still working / I am not working anymore
• Je vais quelque part / Je ne vais nulle part — I am going somewhere / I am not going anywhere
• Il est arrivé quelque chose / Rien n’est arrivé — Something is happening / Nothing is happening
• Il est déjà parti / Il n’est pas encore parti — He already left / He still has not left
• Tout le monde a parlé / Personne n‘a parlé — Everyone said / No one said
• Moi aussi / Moi non plus — Me too / Me neither

 

Thank you for reading, and sorry this is such a short post this week. I have been having an off week with illness and injury, but I am working on a requested post for next week.

Have a great week, and see you all later!

Merci à vous !

Courtney