comparisons and superlatives
| more | más |
|---|---|
| less | menos |
Nuestra casa es más vieja que la de Vd. - Our house is older than yours.
¿Es más grande su hermana que la mía? - Is your sister bigger than mine?
Than in comparisons is generally que. But for numeric comparisons use de.
más de diez - more than ten
De is also used when "than" comes before a verb:
Este muchacho es más hábil de lo que dice. - This boy is cleverer than he says.
| good, better | bueno | mejor |
|---|---|---|
| bad, worse | malo | peor |
| great, greater | grande | mayor |
| small, smaller | pequeño | menor |
Bueno and malo used with estar refer to health, not goodness, e.g., estoy bueno - I am well. Greater and smaller are usually formed as más grande and más pequeño. Mayor and menor generally refer to older and younger, or, occasionally, eminence rather than size.
El hermano mayor - the elder brother
La calle mayor - the main street
Spanish for "very" is muy. Adjectives used with muy must FOLLOW the noun.
es un buen hombere, but es un hombre muy bueno
comparisons of equality
Comparisons of the sort "as ... as" are rendered with tan and como.
Estos niños no son tan inteligentes como aquéllos - These children are not as intelligent as those.
Comparisons of the sort "as many ... as" are rendered with tanto and como.
Tenemos tantas vacas como Vd. - We have as many cows as you.
