Comparison: más barato que…
To compare, you stack three bricks: más (more) or menos (less), then the quality, then que for 'than'. For example: “Este piso es más caro que el otro” — This flat is more expensive than that one. A rule from the Spanish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To compare, you stack three bricks: más (more) or menos (less), then the quality, then que for 'than'.
Este puesto es más barato que el otro — this stall is cheaper than that one. English hides the comparison in an ending; Spanish keeps the words apart. Only four adjectives go their own way, mejor among them.
For 'as … as' you need another pair, tan … como: este melón está tan maduro como aquel.
One trap: before a number que gives way to de. Cuesta menos de diez euros. With que the price would be compared to the figure itself.
Table
| word | comparative | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bueno | mejor | better |
| malo | peor | worse |
| grande | mayor | bigger, older |
| pequeño | menor | smaller, younger |
By example
- Este piso es más caro que el otroThis flat is more expensive than that one
- Hoy hace menos frío que ayerIt's not as cold today as yesterday
- El técnico llega en menos de una horaThe technician will be here in less than an hour
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Comparison: how does it work in Spanish?
To compare, you stack three bricks: más (more) or menos (less), then the quality, then que for 'than'.
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“Este piso es más caro que el otro” — This flat is more expensive than that one. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.