Comparing things in French : complete course

What Is Comparison in French?

Comparison in French is a way to say that something is bigger, smaller, better, or the same as something else. It helps you describe the world around you by putting two or more things side by side. In everyday conversations, French speakers use comparison all the time — when shopping, talking about the weather, or describing people.

For example, instead of just saying ‘This bag is big,’ you can say ‘This bag is bigger than that one.’ That’s comparison at work!

• Ce café est chaud. → This coffee is hot.
• Ce café est plus chaud que l’autre. → This coffee is hotter than the other one.
• Ces deux cafés sont aussi chauds. → Both coffees are equally hot.

Les Éléments de la Comparaison en Français

In French, comparison is built using a few key words and structures. Let’s look at the main components.

1. Superiority: Plus… que (More… than)

Use plus + adjective + que to say something is more than something else.

• Paris est plus grand que Lyon. → Paris is bigger than Lyon.
• Marie est plus rapide que Paul. → Marie is faster than Paul.
• Ce livre est plus intéressant que le film. → This book is more interesting than the film.

2. Inferiority: Moins… que (Less… than)

Use moins + adjective + que to say something is less than something else.

• Ce restaurant est moins cher que l’autre. → This restaurant is less expensive than the other one.
• Tom est moins grand que son frère. → Tom is less tall than his brother.
• Cette route est moins rapide. → This road is less fast.

3. Equality: Aussi… que (As… as)

Use aussi + adjective + que to say two things are equal.

• Elle est aussi sympa que sa sœur. → She is as nice as her sister.
• Ce manteau est aussi chaud que l’ancien. → This coat is as warm as the old one.
• Le train est aussi rapide que l’avion ici. → The train is as fast as the plane here.

A Quick Overview

Why Comparison Matters in Everyday French

Knowing how to compare things makes your French so much more natural. Think about all the situations where you need to compare:

• Shopping: ‘This jacket is cheaper than that one.’
• Talking about cities or places: ‘Marseille is warmer than Paris.’
• Describing people or objects: ‘My phone is newer than yours.’
• Choosing a restaurant or a dish: ‘This menu is more varied than the other.’

Without comparison, your sentences stay very basic. With it, you can express nuance, preferences, and opinions — all essential for real conversations in French.

Comparaison avec d’autres langues

If you already speak English or Spanish, good news: the logic is quite similar! Here is a quick comparison to help you understand the differences and similarities.

As you can see, French uses que where English uses than or as, and Spanish uses que or como. The position of the adjective is also fixed in French: it always comes between plus/moins/aussi and que. No shortcuts here!

One important note: unlike English, French does not add -er to adjectives (like ‘bigger’ or ‘faster’). You always use plus before the adjective.

Exemple complet

Let’s put it all together with a short dialogue. Imagine two friends are choosing a hotel for their holiday.

Léa: Regarde cet hôtel ! Il est plus moderne que l’autre. → Look at this hotel! It is more modern than the other one.

Marc: Oui, mais il est moins confortable, non ? → Yes, but it is less comfortable, right?

Léa: Les deux hôtels sont aussi bien situés. → Both hotels are equally well located.

Marc: D’accord, mais le premier est plus cher que le deuxième. → Ok, but the first one is more expensive than the second one.

Léa: Alors, prenons le deuxième ! → So, let’s take the second one!

In just a few lines, they used all three types of comparison: superiority, inferiority, and equality. That’s real French in action!

Points à retenir

• Use plus… que to express superiority (more than).
• Use moins… que to express inferiority (less than).
• Use aussi… que to express equality (as… as).
• The adjective always goes between the comparison word and que.
• French never adds -er to adjectives for comparison — always use plus.
• The word que is used in all three structures.

Comparison is one of those grammar tools that you will use every single day in French. Start with simple sentences, practice with objects around you, and soon it will feel completely natural!

Sources

• Bescherelle, La grammaire pour tous, Hatier, 2019.
• Grévisse, Maurice, Le Bon Usage, De Boeck Supérieur, 2011.
• Conseil de l’Europe, Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL), 2001. Disponible sur : coe.int