Kilo Lingo
French grammar Part of Chapter 18

CEFR A2-B1

4 min read

Test yourself (23 questions)

French Adverb Comparison: plus vite, le plus vite, le mieux

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Adverbs say how something is done: fast, well, often. French compares them with , and before the adverb and after it, as with adjectives. The difference: an adverb never agrees.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Choose plus, moins or aussi to fit the English in brackets.

  1. Il court vite que moi. (faster than me)

  2. Elle parle fort que toi. (less loudly than you)

  3. Je pars tôt que lui. (as early as him)

At a glance

plus, moremoins, lessaussi, asthe form to watchWhat do the colours mean?
MeaningPatternExample
moreplus ... .
less ... .
as ... .
the most plus .
better (not plus ) .

In order: he runs faster than me; she speaks less loudly than you; I get up as early as him; she's the one who runs fastest; she sings better than me.

Comparing adverbs is on the AQA GCSE specification (comparatives at Foundation and Higher, superlatives at Higher).

Plus, moins, aussi ... que

The marker goes before the adverb and after it.

LessMore
  1. moins vite que
  2. aussi vite que
  3. plus vite que
  • . - You work more seriously than your brother.
  • . - He comes less often than you.
  • . - She answers as fast as the teacher.

The adverb never changes, whoever the subject is:

  • . - He runs faster than me.
  • . - They (the girls) run faster than me.

After , a pronoun takes the stressed form: , , , never . Comparing adjectives, which do agree, is on French comparatives.

The superlative: le plus vite

Put before or . This never agrees, because there is no noun behind it.

faster becomes fastest: le plus vite
  • . - He's the one who comes least often.
  • . - Come as fast as you can.
  • . - She's the one who runs fastest in the class.

With a feminine or plural subject it is still :

  • . - She runs the fastest. (never )
  • . - They run the fastest. (never )

After a superlative, "in the class" is normally , as with adjectives. The adjective superlative, which does agree, is on French superlatives.

Bien, mieux, le mieux

the irregular formWhat do the colours mean?

does not take : the two fuse into .

plus + bien = mieux, better
AdverbComparativeSuperlative
(well)
  • . - She sings better than me.
  • . - I'm feeling better today.
  • . - He's the one who plays best.

Only fuses. and are normal:

  • . - I've been sleeping less well since Monday.
  • . - He speaks as well as you.

Mal, beaucoup, peu

the irregular formWhat do the colours mean?
AdverbComparativeSuperlative
(badly)
(a lot)
(little)

Everyday "worse" is . The old form survives only in set phrases; in speech you will also hear used this way, which careful French avoids.

  • . - He's playing worse than last week.
  • , . - Never mind, we'll go without him.
  • . - It's going from bad to worse.

and after a verb are the comparatives of and :

  • . - I work more than him.
  • . - I'm the one who eats the most.
  • . - She goes out less than before.

As much as is , never : . - He works as much as me.

Mieux or meilleur?

describes an actiondescribes a nounWhat do the colours mean?

English says better for both. French asks what it describes.

WordDescribesExample
an action (a verb) . - She sings better.
a thing (a noun) - a better idea

has one form; agrees with its noun. The superlatives split the same way:

  • . - She's the one who sings best.
  • . - She's the best pupil in the class.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
an action takes
a noun takes
plus + fuse
the adverb never agrees
as much as
stressed pronoun after

What to do next

  1. Ask "an action or a thing?" every time you say better.
  2. Do the drill below.
  3. how adverbs are made on French adverbs of manner.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose plus, moins or aussi to fit the English in brackets.

  1. Il court vite que moi. (faster than me)

  2. Elle parle fort que toi. (less loudly than you)

  3. Je pars tôt que lui. (as early as him)

  4. Tu travailles sérieusement que ton frère. (more seriously than)

  5. Tu habites loin que nous. (not as far as us)

Pick the right one

0/5

Better: mieux or meilleur? Ask whether it describes an action or a noun.

  1. Elle chante que moi. (better)

  2. C'est une idée. (better)

  3. Je vais aujourd'hui. (better)

  4. C'est lui qui joue le . (best)

  5. Ce film est que le livre. (better)

Spot the mistake

0/5

Tap the mistake.

Put the words in order

0/3

Put the words in order.

  1. He runs faster than me.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. She runs the fastest in the class.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. He sings better than his brother.

    Your sentence is empty.

Translation drill

0/5

Translate into French.

  1. She sings better than me.

  2. She speaks less loudly than you. (tu)

  3. He's the one who works hardest.

  4. I get up earlier than my brother.

  5. He is playing worse than last week.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you compare adverbs in French?
Put plus, or in front of the adverb and after it: (he runs faster than me), (she speaks less loudly than you), me (I get up as early as him). The adverb never agrees, because it describes the verb, not a noun.
What is the difference between and ?
is the adverb 'better' and describes an action: (she sings better than me). is the adjective 'better' and describes a noun, agreeing with it: (a better idea). The superlatives split the same way: (adverb), (adjective).
How do you form the superlative of a French adverb?
in front of plus or , and leave it as , whoever the subject is: (she's the one who works fastest). With a feminine subject it is still : , never . gives (the best).
Can you say in French?
Not as the comparative of . Better is : , never . (less well) and (as well) are perfectly normal, because only plus fuses with .
What is the comparative of in French?
In everyday French, : (he is playing worse than last week). The old form in fixed phrases such as (never mind) and (from bad to worse).