Making comparisons with nouns (I have more books than he [does], as opposed to I'm taller than he [is]) is different from making comparisons with adjectives, verbs or adverbs.
How to make comparisons with nouns in French
How to express to have more/less/as much [things] than/as [someone]
Note that to compare nouns, you will use comparative words as follows:
English | French |
more [thing/s] than |
plus de [chose/s] que |
less/fewer [thing/s] than | moins de [chose/s] que |
as much/many [thing/s] as | autant de [chose/s] que |
Note that in all three forms, de is required before the noun. And remember that de becomes d' in front of a vowel or mute h.
Whereas in English, you will need to use a subject pronoun after than (... than I (do), you (do), he/she (does)...), in French you will once again use the stress pronoun after que (... que moi, toi, lui/elle, nous, vous, eux/elles). You will also never repeat the verb (do/am/have) afterwards:
J'ai plus d'œufs en chocolat que tu as toi.
I have more chocolate eggs than you do.
I have more chocolate eggs than you do.
How to express more/less/as [things] than/as [other things]
Il connaît moins de poèmes italiens que d'espagnols.He knows fewer Italian poems than Spanish [ones].
When expressing there are more/fewer/as many-much [thing/s] than/as [other thing/s], you need to add de after que, e.g.:
Il y a + plus/moins/autant de [chose/s] + que de [chose/s]
See also other Comparative structures:
Plus... plus..., moins... moins... = the more...the more..., the less...the less... (comparisons with phrases)
Better and better, worse and worse = de mieux en mieux, de pire en pire (Comparisons in French)
De plus en plus / De moins en moins + [adverbe/adjectif/verbe] = more and more / less and less + [adverb/adjective/verb] (Comparisons in French)
De plus en plus de / de moins en moins de + [nom] = more and more / less and less + [nouns] (Comparisons in French)
Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adjectives in French)
Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adverbs in French)
Plus que/Moins que/Autant que = More than/Less than/As much as (Comparisons with Verbs in French)
And for Superlative forms, see:
Le/la/les plus and Le/la/les moins = The most and the least (Superlative with Adjectives in French)
Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)
Le plus/Le moins = The most/the least (Superlative with Adverbs in French)
Forming the superlative of French adjectives in complex cases
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »