Making comparisons with nouns (I have more books than he [does], as opposed to I'm taller than he [is]) is different than making comparisons with adjectives, verbs or adverbs.
How to express to have more [things] than [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 [things] than [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)
De plus en plus and de moins en moins = more and more and less and less (comparisons with adjectives, adverbs, verbs)
De plus en plus de and de moins en moins de = more and more and less and less (comparisons of nouns)
Making comparisons with adjectives: plus... que, aussi... que, moins... que
Making comparisons with adverbs: plus... que, aussi... que, moins... que
Making comparisons with verbs: plus que, autant que, moins que
And for Superlative forms, see:
Le, la, les plus and le, la, les moins = the most and the least (superlatives of adjectives)
Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst (irregular comparatives and superlatives)
Le plus and le moins = the most and the least (superlative of adverbs)
Forming the superlative of adjectives in complex cases
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