Best, worst, most, least. Whether used as objective facts or simply for emphasis and hyperbole, superlatives help us express the best of the best of our ideas. But French superlatives work a bit differently from English. There are specific formulas for using them with different parts of speech in French, but they are among the easiest structures to learn!
Superlatives in French sound “super,” but they can express both positive and negative ideas. Rosetta Stone can help you get the hang of the different structures and even the expressions that come from superlatives through our Dynamic Immersion method of language learning. We think it’s the easiest, most natural, and funnest way to learn French superlatives.
Table of Contents
What is the difference between a comparative and a superlative in French?
Before we dive into helpful tips to understanding French superlatives, you first need to know what they are and are not. The French comparative and superlative are certainly similar. However, while the comparative shows how any two ideas relate or compare to each other (taller), the superlative sets one idea apart from the rest as an extreme or the highest degree, whether most or least (tallest).
Comparatives in French come in several varieties and sentence structures, but usually contain the words:
- plus que = more than
- moins que = less than
- aussi que = as… as
- autant que = as much or as many as
Superlatives in French are structured a bit differently. It generally contains a definite article (le, la, les = the), and will normally translate in English to most, least, or an adjective ending in -est.
- La plus intéressante = the most interesting
- Les moins chères = the least expensive
- Le plus vite = the fastest
| French Comparative | English Meaning | French Superlative | English Meaning |
| Le bleu est plus beau que le rouge. | The blue is more beautiful than the red. | Le bleu est la couleur la plus belle. | Blue is the most beautiful color. |
| Les pommes de terre sont moins chères que les navets. | The potatoes are less expensive than the turnips. | Les pommes de terre sont les moins chères. | The potatoes are the least expensive. |
>> Perfect your French accent with TruAccent learning to sound like a native Parisian!
1. Know the difference between superior and inferior French superlatives
Remember, the superlative indicates an extreme or the strongest degree of a descriptor. This could go in either direction from most or least. Both of these examples are considered superior, since they use plus (most), even the one that expresses a small size. It’s not about the size but the level of description (big, bigger, biggest).
- La baleine bleue est l’animal le plus grand. = The blue whale is the biggest animal.
- Mercure est la planète la plus petite. = Mercury is the smallest planet.
Both of the following examples are considered inferior, since they use moins (least), even the one that could seem to be expressing a positive idea.
- La biologie est la classe la moins difficile. = Biology is the least difficult class.
- Elle est la prof la moins stricte. = She is the least strict teacher.
2. Learn how to place French superlatives in sentences
While most of the regular French superlatives are going to be recognizable as plus ou moins (more or less), you’ll want to structure your sentences according to the part of speech you’re using.
When using adjectives
To use a superlative with a French adjective, use this structure:
definite article + plus + adjective
- le plus grand = the tallest
- la plus heureuse = the happiest
- les plus tristes = the saddest
Both the definite article and the adjective will need to agree with the noun being described in both gender and number. In other words, you’ll need to identify whether the noun is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. (You can learn more about French gender rules if you’d like more guidance.)
The examples above don’t require another noun in the sentence, if you already know what noun you are referring to. For example, if you’ve been discussing a group of puppies, you might say:
- Bruno est le plus actif! = Bruno is the most active.
If you are specifying a specific noun within the sentence, the French noun being described comes before the superlative instead of after it:
Definite article + noun + definite article + plus + adjective.
- Minou est le chaton le plus petit. = Minou is the smallest kitten.
- Les lapins sont les animaux les plus mignons.= Rabbits are the cutest animals.
There are a few adjectives in French that typically precede the noun, such as jolie (pretty) and belle (beautiful). These adjectives can come before plus.
- Elle est la plus belle femme. = She is the most beautiful woman.
When using adverbs
To use a French superlative with an adverb, use the structure:
le plus / le moins + adverb
- le plus facilement = the most easily
- le moins fréquemment = the least frequently
You don’t need to worry about other forms of the article or any kind of gender agreement, because French adverbs are invariable or constant.
- Je parle italien le plus couramment. = I speak Italian the most fluently.
When emphasizing verbs
If you want to express who does an action the most or the least, simply use le plus or le moins after the verb.
- Je mange le plus. = I eat the most.
- Il étudie le moins ! = He studies the least!
3. Be familiar with exceptions and common irregular superlatives in French
There are irregular superlatives in French just like in English. We don’t say that Rosetta Stone is the “goodest” app for language learning, we say that we’re the “best.” Let’s take a look at some of the common superlatives that defy the rules.
Meilleur / meilleure
Meilleur / meilleure can be used in both a French comparative (better) and a superlative (best) way. It is used with nouns and must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. To create the superlative, you’ll use a definite French article like le meilleur / la meilleure.
- Comparative: Anne est une meilleure poète que moi. = Anne is a better poet than me.
- Superlative: Elle est la meilleure poète ici. = She is the best poet here.
Mieux
Mieux can be used in both a comparative (“better than”) and a superlative (“best”) way. It is used with verbs and adjectives.
- Comparative: Je lis mieux que je parle français. = I read better than I speak French.
- Superlative: Elle est la chanteuse la mieux préparée ce soir ! = She is the best prepared singer tonight.
Again, to create the superlative in French, you’ll use le / la mieux.
- La recette de ses biscuits est le secret le mieux gardé. = The recipe for her cookies is the best kept secret.
- Ben dessine le mieux de tous les élèves. = Ben draws the best of all of the students.
Pire
Pire means the opposite of mieux. It can also be used as both a French comparative and superlative (worse than / worst).
- (comparative) Je danse pire que je chante ! = I dance worse than I sing!
- (superlative) C’est le pire plat au menu. = It’s the worst dish on the menu.
To create the superlative, you’ll use le / la pire.
- Notre équipe est la pire de la ligue. = Our team is the worst of the league.
- Ce travail est le pire. = This job is the worst.
Moindre
Moindre is used to mean “lesser” or “least.” To create the superlative, you’ll use le / la moindre.
- On a choisi le moindre de deux maux. = We chose the lesser of two evils.
- C’est le moindre de mes problèmes ! = It’s the least of my problems!
4. Show emphasis with superlatives in the subjunctive mood
We’ve seen how the superlative can help you express extremes and absolutes. Another function of the superlative is to express a bit of dramatic judgment or hyperbole when combined with the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood is a form of the verb that helps us to express doubts and uncertainty. This would be in contrast to the “indicative” mood which is used to express more objective facts.
Let’s take a look at the difference:
In the indicative mood, you can use the superlative to state or indicate a fact. Whether or not it actually is true, you are stating the fact as though you believe it to be true.
- C’est le poisson le plus grand que j’ai pris ! = It’s the biggest fish that I’ve caught!
But if we use the subjunctive mood alongside the superlative, the tone switches from a statement of fact to more of an expressive way to exaggerate or emphasize the idea. This way of using the superlative doesn’t fully commit to the factual validity of your statement. In English, we could express this by using a few extra words, but this nuance can be accomplished with only a different verb form in French—a single letter, in this case.
- C’est le poisson le plus grand que j’aie pris ! = It’s (probably) the biggest fish that I’ve ever caught!
In the previous examples, there isn’t a difference in pronunciation between j’ai and j’aie, so you would only notice it in written French, but some verbs change forms drastically in the subjunctive.
- C’est le devoir le plus difficile que je fais. = It’s the most difficult homework that I do.
- C’est le devoir le plus difficile que je fasse. = It might be the most difficult homework that I do.
- Elle est la personne la plus célèbre que je connais. = She is the most famous person that I know (personally).
- Elle est la personne la plus célèbre que je connaisse. = She is probably the most famous person I know (personally).
>>Get to know the subjunctive. Rosetta Stone’s tutors can help demystify this mood!
5. Practice popular expressions with superlatives in French
Superlative words are often part of common idioms and expressions in French. Add these to your conversations to speak French in an exciting and natural sounding way !
| French Superlative Expression | English Meaning |
| au moins | at least |
| au plus | at most |
| au plus tard | at the latest |
| au plus tôt | at the earliest |
| dans le plus grand respect de | in strict accordance with |
| dans le plus simple appareil | stark-naked; in one’s “birthday suit” |
| de la plus haute importance | of highest importance |
| du plus loin que je me souvienne | as far back as i can remember |
| écrire les plus belles pages de son histoire | to enjoy the best moments of one’s life |
| être au plus bas | to have hit rock bottom |
| c’est le moins qu’on puisse dire ! / pour le moins, | to say the least! |
| c’est le moins que je puisse faire ! | it’s the least i could do |
| plus ou moins | more or less |
| ni plus ni moins | no more, no less |
| pas le moins du monde | not in the least! not in the slightest! |
| dans le meilleur des cas | in the best case scenario |
| donner le meilleur de soi-même | to give it your best |
| du meilleur effet | impressive |
| être au meilleur de sa forme | to be in great shape |
| garder le meilleur pour la fin | to save the best for last |
| le meilleur reste à venir | the best is yet to come |
| le meilleur ami / la meilleure amie | the best friend |
| pour le meilleur et pour le pire | for better or for worse |
| que le meilleur gagne ! | may the best (noun) win! |
| au pire | at worst, the worst that can happen |
| craindre le pire | to fear the worst |
| aller pour le mieux | to be going really well |
| au mieux | at best |
| ça vaut mieux | it would be best |
| être au mieux avec | to get along very well |
| à la moindre occasion | at the slightest opportunity; at the drop of a hat |
| la moindre des politesses | the least one can do |
| la loi du moindre effort | the path of least resistance; the easy way out |
| ne pas avoir la moindre idée | to not have the slightest idea |
Using just a few of these expressions in French can help add some flair to your speech as you communicate. French superlatives can go a long way in helping add emphasis to your speech and writing.
0 Commentaires