Ch 51 · Lesson 9Spanish · Chapter 51 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
Similes with más ... que: más bueno que el pan
, , Matusalén: the comparison similes, and the verb each takes ( , ).
The short version
: the verb matters
.
Why?Hide
Each simile keeps the verb its adjective takes. , with , means he is as good as gold. , with , is colloquial for he is very good-looking. Crazy is a state, so the simile is .
Más ... que similes
The other half are comparisons: + adjective + + a fixed noun. Literally "more X than the bread":
| Means | Spanish | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| very kind | | better than bread |
| obvious | | clearer than water |
| very sharp | | sharper than hunger |
| ancient | Matusalén | older than Methuselah |
| very ugly | Picio | uglier than Picio |
| very tiresome | | heavier than a cow in your arms |
The adjective agrees here too:
.- My neighbour is as good as gold..- It's crystal clear.
Learn the frame with the noun. The usual form is pan, with and ; is usually said with , though is heard too.
Ser, estar or ponerse
Each simile keeps the verb its adjective takes: for character, for a state, for a sudden change.
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
. | He's as stubborn as a mule. | |
. | He/she is crazy. | |
tapia. | He's as deaf as a post. | |
. | He went as red as a beetroot. |
Where the images come from
Some similes lean on stories every Spanish speaker knows:
| Name | Who | Simile |
|---|---|---|
| Matusalén | Methuselah, who lived 969 years (Genesis) | Matusalén |
| Magdalena | Mary Magdalene, weeping in the Gospels | Magdalena |
| Picio | a 19th-century man from (legend) | Picio |
Others simply paint a picture. A flan, the wobbly set custard, shakes at a touch, so flan is to shake with nerves. A tapia is an old wall of packed earth: about as attentive as a deaf ear.
flan.- Before the exam I was shaking like a leaf.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| the noun is fixed | |
| the noun is fixed | |
| Picio | Matusalén | Picio is for ugly |
| . | . | the adjective agrees |
Going further: Spanish similes at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
9-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
Spanish · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 9 of 25 in this chapter