Adjectives have three forms when compared: the positive or base form (viejo = old), the comparative form (más viejo = older) and the superlative form (el más viejo = oldest).
Coordination of Adjectives
In the coordination of adjectives, the adjective is in the base form (= positive), and it is inflected according to the gender and number of the head noun. In Spanish, the coordination of adjectives is formed as follows:
tan + adjective + como = as…as
Cristina es tan eficiente como Raúl.
Cristina is as efficient as Raúl.
In a negative sentence, the negation no is placed before the verb, as usual. Note that when comparing, the verb ser is used:
Este proyecto no es tan importante como el anterior.
This project is not as important as the previous one.
The gender and number of the first subject determine the form of the adjective:
feminine plural hijas → buenas
Tus hijas son tan buenas como los hijos del vecino.
Your daughters are as good as the neighbour’s sons.
Comparative
The comparative form of an adjective is formed as follows: más + adjective + que
Yo soy más responsable que mi compañera de trabajo Andrea.
I am more responsible than my coworker Andrea.
The gender and number of the subject determine the form of the adjective:
masculine singular jefe → resolutivo
masculine plural perros → tranquilos
Nuestro nuevo jefe es más resolutivo que el anterior.
Our new boss is more solution-oriented than the previous one.
Nuestros perros son más tranquilos que los de los vecinos.
Our dogs are calmer than those of our neighbours.
The comparative can also be formed like this: menos + adjective + que
El español es menos difícil que las matemáticas.
Spanish is less difficult than mathematics.
Note that más means “more” and menos means “less”:
¿Quién es más fiable que Lucas?
Who is more reliable than Lucas?
¿Quién es menos fiable que Lucas?
Who is less reliable than Lucas?
Superlative
The superlative form of an adjective is formed as follows: definite article el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective:
Esta ciudad es la más bonita del país.
This city is the most beautiful in the country.
The gender and number of the subject determine the definite article el/la/los/las and the form of the adjective:
- masculine el monte → el más alto
El Monte Everest es el más alto del mundo.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
- feminine plural amigas → las más agradables
Mis amigas son las más agradables.
My friends are the nicest.
Note that article + más means “the most” and article + menos means “the least”:
El invierno pasado fue el menos frío de los últimos años.
Last winter was the least cold in the past few years.
Positive | Comparative | Superlative | Translation |
---|---|---|---|
bueno | mejor | el/la mejor | good, better, the best |
malo | peor | el/la peor | bad, worse, the worst |
Este café es bueno, pero el otro es mejor.
This coffee is good, but the other one is better.
Este es el mejor restaurante de la ciudad.
This is the best restaurant in the city.
Positive | Comparative | Superlative | Translation |
---|---|---|---|
pequeño | menor | el/la menor | small, smaller/younger, the smallest/youngest |
más pequeño | el/la más pequeño | small, smaller, the smallest | |
grande | mayor | el/la mayor | big, bigger/older, the biggest/oldest |
más grande | el/la más grande | big, bigger, the biggest |
Note that the comparative forms mayor and menor are used when referring to abstract things or when talking about someone’s age:
Ella es mi hermana mayor.
She is my big sister.
Note that the plural superlatives los mayores or los menores are used to refer to a group of people:
Los mayores suelen necesitar ayuda con ordenadores.
Older people tend to need help with computers.
The comparatives más grande/pequeño and menos grande/pequeño are used when talking about the concrete size of something:
Ellos poseen la barca más grande de la marina.
They own the biggest boat in the marina.