Grados del Adjetivo
Learn how to compare things in Spanish: comparative, superlative, and the tricky irregular forms like mejor, peor, mayor, menor.
Degrees of the Adjective
Adjectives describe nouns — but sometimes we need to say that something is more, less, or the most of a quality. In Spanish, there are three degrees: Positive (base form), Comparative, and Superlative. Let's master them all!
1️⃣ Positive Degree (Base Form)
The positive degree is the simplest form — the adjective without any comparison. It simply describes a quality.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| alto | tall | Juan es alto. — Juan is tall. |
| bonita | pretty | La casa es bonita. — The house is pretty. |
| inteligente | intelligent | Mi hermana es inteligente. — My sister is intelligent. |
| rápido | fast | El tren es rápido. — The train is fast. |
💡 Remember: Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun: alto → alta → altos → altas.
2️⃣ Comparative Degree
⬆️ Superiority
To say something has more of a quality:
- Juan es más alto que Pedro.
Juan is taller than Pedro. - Este libro es más interesante que ese.
This book is more interesting than that one.
⬇️ Inferiority
To say something has less of a quality:
- María es menos alta que Ana.
María is less tall than Ana. - El gato es menos rápido que el perro.
The cat is less fast than the dog.
⚖️ Equality
To say two things are equally the same:
- Luis es tan alto como Carlos.
Luis is as tall as Carlos. - Esta película es tan buena como la otra.
This movie is as good as the other one.
3️⃣ Relative Superlative
The relative superlative expresses the highest or lowest degree within a group. Think "the most" or "the least" of something.
| Type | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | el/la/los/las más + adj + de | Ana es la más alta de la clase. Ana is the tallest in the class. |
| Lowest | el/la/los/las menos + adj + de | Es el menos caro de todos. It is the least expensive of all. |
⚠️ Note: In Spanish, use de (not en) after the superlative: "la más alta de la clase" (NOT *en la clase).
4️⃣ Absolute Superlative (-ísimo/a)
The absolute superlative expresses an extreme degree without comparison. It's like saying "extremely" or "very, very" in English. Form it by adding -ísimo/a/os/as to the adjective.
| Adjective | Absolute Superlative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| alto | altísimo | extremely tall |
| bella | bellísima | extremely beautiful |
| rico | riquísimo | extremely delicious / rich |
| largo | larguísimo | extremely long |
| fácil | facilísimo | extremely easy |
🔤 Spelling changes: Some adjectives change their spelling before -ísimo:
- rico → riquísimo (c → qu)
- largo → larguísimo (g → gu)
- feliz → felicísimo (z → c)
⚡ Irregular Comparatives & Superlatives
Some very common adjectives have special comparative forms that don't use más/menos. You must memorize these!
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bueno (good) | mejor (better) | el/la mejor (the best) | Este café es mejor que ese. |
| malo (bad) | peor (worse) | el/la peor (the worst) | Esta película es peor que la otra. |
| grande (big) | mayor (bigger/older) | el/la mayor (the biggest/oldest) | Mi hermano es mayor que yo. |
| pequeño (small) | menor (smaller/younger) | el/la menor (the smallest/youngest) | Soy la menor de la familia. |
💡 Note: mayor and menor are most commonly used for age. For physical size, you can use más grande and más pequeño.
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ *Más mejor / *Más peor
Since mejor and peor already mean "more good" and "more bad", adding más is redundant and incorrect.
- *Este libro es más mejor. ❌
- Este libro es mejor. ✅
- *Hoy me siento más peor. ❌
- Hoy me siento peor. ✅
❌ *Más mayor / *Más menor
The same applies to mayor and menor — they already include the comparative meaning.
- *Soy más mayor que tú. ❌
- Soy mayor que tú. ✅
- *Mi hermana es más menor. ❌
- Mi hermana es menor. ✅
🎓 Cultural Tip: In colloquial speech, you may hear native speakers say "más mejor" — but this is considered grammatically incorrect in standard Spanish. Avoid it in writing and formal speech!
📝 Quick Summary
| Degree | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | adjective | Juan es alto. |
| Comp. Superiority | más + adj + que | Juan es más alto que Pedro. |
| Comp. Inferiority | menos + adj + que | Juan es menos alto que Luis. |
| Comp. Equality | tan + adj + como | Juan es tan alto como Carlos. |
| Relative Superl. | el/la más + adj + de | Juan es el más alto de la clase. |
| Absolute Superl. | adj + -ísimo/a | Juan es altísimo. |
Ponte a Prueba
Reto 1: Choose the Correct Form
Puntuación: 0/10Read each sentence and choose the correct comparative or superlative form to complete it.
Reto 2: Verdadero o Falso
Puntuación: 0/6Contenido Exclusivo Premium
Unlock this advanced challenge and master adjective degrees like a pro.
Ver Planes Premium