Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adverbs in French)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2024-06-16

28 questions

Comparing using adverbs (she wears it more elegantly) is different from comparing actions or things.

How to use "plus/moins/aussi ... que" with adverbs in French

Look at these examples:

Elle marche plus lentement que moi.She walks more slowly than I.

Il parle plus vite que toi. He speaks faster than you.
He speaks more quickly than you.

Je chante aussi bien que ma tante.I sing as well as my aunt.

Sandra s'habille moins élégamment que lui.Sandra dresses less elegantly than he.

Germaine est allée se coucher plus tôt que Maurice.Germaine went to bed earlier than Maurice.

Note that to compare adverbs (nicely, quickly, slowly ...), you use comparative words as follows:

English	French
more [adverb] than [adverb]-er than	plus [adverbe] que
less [adverb] than	moins [adverbe] que
as [adverb] as	aussi [adverbe] que

ATTENTION:

With adverbs, you NEVER agree.
You won't say ''Elle marche plus lentemente que moi.''

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 with (do/am/have) afterwards.

Je cours plus vite que tu fais toi.
I run faster than you do.

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 de ... que/Moins de ... que/Autant de ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As much/many ... as (Comparisons with Nouns 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

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