Ch 7 · Lesson 22French · Chapter 7 · Lesson 22 · Grammar primer
Meilleur, mieux, pire: better and worse
is , is . describes a thing and agrees; describes an action and never changes.
The short version
Better is
.
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Plus never goes with or : fuses into , into . Ask what better describes. A thing takes , which agrees like any adjective ( ); an action takes , which never changes ( ).
Better and worse: meilleur, mieux, pire
Two short words do not take : (good) and (well). Each fuses with it into a new word.
| Word | Comparative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (good) | | . - This book is better. |
| (well) | | . - She sings better. |
| (bad) | | . - It's worse than yesterday. |
English says better for both, so ask what it describes. A thing takes ; an action takes .
.- It's a better film. (the film).- He speaks better than me. (the speaking).- I'm feeling better.
meilleur agrees, mieux never does
is an adjective, so it takes the feminine and plural endings. has one form.
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| | a better book, idea |
| | the best friends |
has the same form for both genders, in the plural: - the worst ideas. is also correct, and common for concrete quality: . - This wine is worse than the other one.
Only fuses. and are normal French: . - This film is not as good as the book.
Going further: Comparatives at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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