9.1. Comparatives
A comparative is a degree of comparison that directly compares two or more things.
9.1.1. Comparisons of Equality
For Adjectives
Tanto + adjective + (como / quanto)
| María èst tanto alta como Elena. | Maria is as tall as Elena. |
"Tanto" is an adverb that modifies the adjective "alta". It does not agree with the subject "Elena" in quantity or gender.
For Adverbs
Tanto + adverb + (como / quanto)
| María corre tanto ràpido como Elena. | Maria runs as fast as Elena. |
9.1.2. Comparisons of Inequality
For Adjectives
(Plus / Menos) + adjective + que
| Los libros de non fictione son plus interessantes que los libros de fictione. | Non-fiction books are more interesting than fiction books. |
| Isabella èst menos alta que Fabio. | Isabella is shorter than Fabian. |
For Adverbs
(Plus / Menos) + adverb + que
| Matteo mangîa plus ràpido que Loís. | Matteo eats faster than Loís. |
Comparisons of Inequality With Numbers
Comparisons of inequality with numbers use the preposition "de", no matter if the number is a cardinal number (ex: five), multiplicative number (ex: double) or fraction (ex: one-tenth).
(Plus / Menos) + De
| Face plus de dèce annos | More than ten years ago |
| Plus de lo doplo de lo peso màximo | More than twice the maximum weight |
| Menos de mèjjo centímetro | Less than half a centimeter |
| Menos de un dècimo de secondo | Less than one-tenth of a second |
De lo que / De cuello que
Use the construction "de lo que" or "de cuello que" in comparisons involving a verb phrase (a verb or collection of verbs) in a dependent clause.
Plus + adjective + de (lo que / cuello que) + clause
Menos + adjective + de (lo que / cuello que) + clause
| Èst plus diffícile de cuello que pare. | It is harder than it looks. |
| Èst plus fàcile de lo que pènsas. | It is easier than you think. |
| Toto vadeu mèllîo de cuello que esperava. | Everything went better than I expected. |
| Elle despènde plus denario de cuello que guadannîa. | He spends more money than he earns. |
| La situatione èst pejjore de cuello que imaginava. | The situation is worse than I imagined. |
| Me laudas plus de cuello que merito. | You praise me more than I deserve. |
Notice that this construction is often used with hypothetical situations.