In this Spanish grammar lesson, you will learn how to make comparisons in Spanish.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to make comparisons in Spanish
- how the comparisons in Spanish are used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on comparisons in Spanish
- how you can practice with flashcards on comparisons in Spanish
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn Spanish
By the end of the lesson you will know all about comparisons in Spanish!
Table of Contents
Comparisons in Spanish: Inequality
All the comparisons that you will see now are comparisons of inequality.
This means that you will compare two things that are NOT equal to each other.
You will use the following words for that:
- more than
- less than
- fewer than
Mas/Menos [Noun] Que = More/Less/Fewer [Noun] Than
| más [noun] que | more [noun] than |
| menos [noun] que | less/fewer [noun] than |
Have a look at some examples where nouns are used in comparisons in Spanish.
In these examples, two things are NOT equal to each other:
Have a look at some examples where nouns are compared.
In these examples more/less/fewer are used:
Yo he ido a muchas menos fiestas que tú este año
I have been to far fewer parties than you this year.
En mi nuevo trabajo gano más dinero que antes.
In my new job I make more money than before.
Yo tengo menos tiempo que ellos.
I have less time than they do.
The gender and the number of the noun doesn’t matter.
The construction doesn’t change.
Más/Menos [Adjective] Que = More/Less [Adjective] Than
| más [adjective] que | more [adjective] than |
| menos [adjective] que | less [adjective] than |
Have a look at some examples where adjectives are used in comparisons in Spanish.
In these examples, two things are NOT equal to each other:
Su casa es más grande que la nuestra.
His house is bigger than ours
Tus compañeros de trabajo son más divertidos que los míos.
Your coworkers are more fun than mine.
¿Cómo puedes decir que el inglés es más difícil que el español?
How can you say that English is more difficult than Spanish?
Nuestro coche nuevo es más rápido que el viejo.
Our new car is faster than the old one.
¿Te gusta ese bar porque tienen las copas más baratas que los demás?
Do you like that bar because they have cheaper drinks than the others?
In comparisons with adjectives, the adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it accompanies.
You can see that the endings have been underlined.
Please read the lesson on Spanish regular adjectives again if you need a refresher on the topic.
Please note that sometimes it is very clear that you are comparing things, and then you may encounter comparisons without “que”.
Ella tiene menos amigos que su hermano Juan, porque es más tímida (que él).
She has fewer friends than her brother Juan, because she is more shy (than he is).
Comparisons in Spanish: Equality
All the comparisons that you will see now are comparisons of inequality.
This means that you will compare two things that are equal to each other.
You will use the following words for that:
- as … as
- as much as
Tan [Adjective/Adverb] Como = As [Adjective/Adverb] As
| tan [adjective/adverb] como | as [adjective/adverb] as |
Have a look at some examples where adjectives are used in comparisons in Spanish.
In these examples, two things are equal to each other:
Yo soy tan tozuda como mi madre.
I am as stubborn as my mother.
Londres es tan lluviosa como Bilbao.
London is as rainy as Bilbao.
María es tan inteligente como su hermano mayor. Estoy seguro de que ambos van a tener éxito en la vida.
Maria is as smart as her older brother. I am sure they will both succeed in life.
Vosotros sois tan ruidosos como ellos, aunque no os deis cuenta.
You are just as noisy as they are, even if you don’t realise it. (you=vosotros)
In comparisons with adjectives, the adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it accompanies.
You can see that the endings have been underlined.
Have a look at some examples where adverbs are used in comparisons in Spanish.
In these examples, two things are equal to each other:
Mi hermano trabaja tan rápido como yo.
My brother works as quickly as I do.
Él grita tan fuerte como ella.
He screams as loudly as her.
El vestido rojo te queda tan bien como el azul.
The red dress looks as good on you as the blue one. (you=tú)
Tanto [Noun] Como = As Much/Many [Noun] As
| tanto [noun] como | as much/many [noun] as |
Have a look at some examples where nouns are used in comparisons in Spanish.
In these examples, two things are equal to each other:
Tengo tanto tiempo libre como Ana, pero ella sabe admistrarlo mejor.
I have as much free time as Ana, but she knows how to manage it better.
Tienes tanta paciencia como ella, pero ella es más estricta.
You have as much patience as she does, but she is stricter.
Nuestros vecinos tienen tantos perros como nosotros.
Our neighbours have as many dogs as we do.
En el supermercado tienen tantas variedades de pescado como de carne.
In the supermarket they have as many different varieties of fish as meat.
Please note that tanto, tanta, tantos, and tantas agree in gender and number with the noun is after it.
[Verb] Tanto Como = [Verb] As Much As
| [verb] tanto como | [verb] as much as |
Have a look at some examples where verbs are used in comparisons in Spanish.
In these examples, two things are equal to each other:
Sus hijos comen tanto como los nuestros.
Their children eat as much as ours.
La calefacción consume tanto como el aire acondicionado.
Heating costs as much as air conditioning.
El agua refresca tanto como la cerveza.
Water is as refreshing as beer.
Please note that tanto como is always the same with verbs, it never changes.
Example Sentences on How to Make Comparisons in Spanish
This section of the lesson on how to make comparisons in Spanish is about seeing them used in sentences.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of how to make comparisons in Spanish through examples.
Yo he ido a muchas menos fiestas que tú este año
I have been to far fewer parties than you this year.
En mi nuevo trabajo gano más dinero que antes.
In my new job I make more money than before.
Yo tengo menos tiempo que ellos.
I have less time than they do.
Su casa es más grande que la nuestra.
His house is bigger than ours
Tus compañeros de trabajo son más divertidos que los míos.
Your coworkers are more fun than mine.
¿Cómo puedes decir que el inglés es más difícil que el español?
How can you say that English is more difficult than Spanish?
Nuestro coche nuevo es más rápido que el viejo.
Our new car is faster than the old one.
¿Te gusta ese bar porque tienen las copas más baratas que los demás?
Do you like that bar because they have cheaper drinks than the others?
Ella tiene menos amigos que su hermano Juan, porque es más tímida (que él).
She has fewer friends than her brother Juan, because she is more shy (than he is).
Quiz Yourself on How to Make Comparisons in Spanish
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our Spanish A2 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,568 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for Spanish A2.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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