Comparing whole groups: tant… com, més… del que…
Adjectives were compared long ago: més alt que, tant alt com. But not only qualities can be compared — whole groups: nouns, verbs, whole thoughts. For example: “Tant el pare com la mare són treballadors” — Both father and mother are hardworking. A rule from the Valencian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Adjectives were compared long ago: més alt que, tant alt com. But not only qualities can be compared — whole groups: nouns, verbs, whole thoughts.
Equality of two groups — tant… com (both… and, as much… as): Tant la mare com el pare treballen — both mother and father work; Estudia tant com el seu germà — he studies as much as his brother. Before a verb "tant" means "as much".
Superiority of a group — més… que: Llegeix més llibres que jo — he reads more books than I. And if the comparison is with what has already been said, Catalan puts del que — literally "more than of what": Guanya més diners del que gasta — he earns more than he spends; És més fàcil del que sembla — easier than it seems. The particle "en" from the food lesson is the same here — it points back.
Table
| frame | what it compares | example |
|---|---|---|
| tant… com | qualities | tan alt com el seu pare |
| tant A com B | two groups (both… and) | tant la mare com el pare treballen |
| més… que | group against group | llegeix més llibres que jo |
| més… del que | group against a fact | més fàcil del que sembla |
By example
- Tant el pare com la mare són treballadorsBoth father and mother are hardworking
- Estudia tant com el seu germà, però és més despistatHe studies as much as his brother, but is more scatterbrained
- Guanya més diners del que gastaHe earns more than he spends
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
Comparing whole groups: how does it work in Valencian?
Adjectives were compared long ago: més alt que, tant alt com. But not only qualities can be compared — whole groups: nouns, verbs, whole thoughts.
What does it look like in an example sentence Valencian?
“Tant el pare com la mare són treballadors” — Both father and mother are hardworking. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.