How To Form And Use French Superlatives
Superlatives in French are so easy! 🙂
What's a superlative?
Well, a superlative basically states absolute superiority or inferiority.
For example:
- Happy -> Happiest
- Loud -> Loudest
- Small -> Smallest
- Difficult -> Least difficult
- Dangerous -> Most dangerous
Similar to English, French adds words to the beginning to indicate that it's superlative.
You combine the appropriate definite article with:
plus + an adjective/adverb to express greatest superiority (e.g. le plus loin (the farthest))
moins + an adjective/adverb to express greatest inferiority (e.g. la moins haute (the least high)).
| French | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Superlative (greatest inferiority) | le/la/les moins adjective (que) | the least … (than) |
| le moins de noun (de) | the least … (of) | |
| le moins adverb | the least … | |
| Superlative (greatest superiority) | le/la/les plus adjective (que) | the most … (than) |
| le plus de noun (de) | the most … | |
| le plus adverb | the most … |
Definite articles for French superlatives
— le if the noun the adjective refers to is singular and masculine
Le plus grand arbre (sing., masc.) de la forêt / The greatest tree in the forest
— la if the noun the adjective refers to is singular and feminine
La pire aventure (sing., fem.) de sa vie / The worse adventure of his life
— le with an adverb
Le plus facilement possible / In the easiest way possible
— les if the noun the adjective refers to is plural (either masculine or feminine)
Les plus grandes soldes (plur., fem.) de l’année / The biggest sales of the year
For adjectives and adverbs, you must use the comparative form expressing superiority to build the superlative. For all but the six exceptions listed below (3 adjectives & 3 adverbs), this comparative form is the same as the adjective (e.g. excitant => le plus excitant / exciting => the most exciting) or adverb (e.g. souvent => le moins souvent / often => the least often) itself.
Examples:
Ils viennent d’ouvrir le plus grand magasin de Paris (They just opened the greatest store in Paris)
Elle veut la solution la plus rapide (She wants the quickest solution)
Tu voulais le prix le plus bas (You wanted the lowest price)
Irregular adjective superlatives
The superlatives of the irregular adjectives/adverbs are as follows:
bon => good
le/la/les meilleur(e)(s) (NOT le plus bon) => best (superlative)
mauvais => bad
le/la/les plus mauvais(e)(s) (le/la/les pire(s)) => worst (superlative)
petit => small
le/la/les plus petit(e)(s) (le/la/les moindre(s))=> smallest (superlative)
Irregular adverb superlatives:
bien => well
le mieux (NOT le plus bien) => best (superlative)
peu => little
le/la/les moins (NOT le plus peu) => least (superlative)
beaucoup => very, much
le/la/les plus (NOT le plus beaucoup) => most (superlative)
This is because they serve as the superlative forms of adverbs peu and beaucoup but they also serve as the basis for expressing the superlative of inferiority or superiority with adjectives.
Examples:
Faites le mieux que vous pouvez! (Do the best you can!)
De nous tous, c’est elle qui aime le chien le moins (Of us all, it’s her who loves the dog the least)
In case you missed it: How To Form French Comparatives
