Spanish · Chapter 7 · Lesson 12 · Grammar primer
Comparatives
más que, menos que, tan como. Plus the irregular comparatives mejor and peor.
The short version
Mayor is for age, más grande is for size
Four adjectives have dedicated comparatives: bueno gives mejor, malo gives peor, grande gives mayor, pequeño gives menor. Use mayor and menor for age and for abstract greater-than. For sheer physical bulk Spanish reaches for más grande instead, so es más grande que yo means physically bigger, not older.
Mi hermano es mayor que yo.
Put a number in and que becomes de
Comparisons normally run on que: más alta que Juan, menos cara que la otra. The moment a plain number follows, que gives way to de. Tengo más de cinco euros, hay menos de veinte personas. Más que cinco is a straightforward error and an easy one to catch yourself making.
Tengo más de cinco euros.
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