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Grammar
Objective: Construct le plus, la plus, and le moins superlatives with correct article agreement, and apply the irregular forms meilleur and mieux.
| Structure | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| le plus ... de | superior masculine | le plus grand de la classe | the tallest in the class |
| la plus ... de | superior feminine | la plus grande de la classe | the tallest (fem.) in the class |
| les plus ... de | superior plural | les plus grands de la classe | the tallest (pl.) in the class |
| le moins ... de | inferior | le moins cher de tous | the least expensive of all |
| le meilleur | irregular adjective | le meilleur restaurant | the best restaurant |
| le mieux | irregular adverb | elle chante le mieux | she sings the best |
The comparative uses que, but the superlative always uses de before the group being compared.
Bon has the irregular superlative meilleur, so le plus bon is never the standard form.
Meilleur replaces le plus bon. It is an adjective and agrees with the masculine noun restaurant.
The definite article la and the adjective grande both agree with the feminine subject Marie.
Le moins marks an inferior superlative. The group de tous is introduced by de, not que.
The adjective follows the noun, so the definite article repeats before the superlative marker: l'homme le plus grand.
Mieux is an adverb, so the article stays invariable as le, even when the subject is feminine.
6 exercises · about 9 minutes
In careful writing the superlative uses de before a defined group such as a family. Dans appears in speech but is avoided in formal registers.
Mieux is an adverb, so it takes the invariable le, not la, regardless of the subject's gender.
Jeune agrees with the masculine subject Paul. The definite article le introduces the superlative.
Les and belles agree with the plural feminine noun plages. The group is a geographical set introduced by de France.
The adjective follows the noun train, so the article le repeats before the superlative marker.