Comparatives in Portuguese

21 de August de 2013

How are you, guys? In our DicaΒ today, we are going to learn about the comparatives in Portuguese. Ready to learn Portuguese?

Comparatives in Portuguese

When we use comparatives in Portuguese, we use different structures. Superiority, inferiority and equality.Β Something very important to use superiority and inferiority comparatives, it’s the usage of adjectives. You can learn more about it with this Dica of Adjectives in Portuguese.

Comparative of Superiority

Comparatives in Portuguese. Ele Γ© mais alto que ela. He is taller than her. Comparative dof Superiority.

Let’s start learning about the comparatives of superiority. Let’s see some examplesΒ using the comparatives of superiority:

Examples

JosΓ© Γ© mais alto do que Marcos.
JosΓ© isΒ taller thanΒ Marcos.

Maria Γ© mais inteligente que a irmΓ£ dela.
Maria isΒ moreΒ intelligentΒ thanΒ her sister.

Nossos livros sΓ£o mais bonitos do que os livros da Marina.
Our books areΒ moreΒ beautifulΒ thanΒ Marina’s.

A casa do JoΓ£o Γ© mais alta do que a casa da Juliana.
JoΓ£o’s house isΒ bigger thanΒ Juliana’s.

Eu sou mais rΓ‘pido do que vocΓͺ.
I amΒ faster thanΒ you.

Nossa cidade Γ© mais interessante que a deles.
Our city isΒ moreΒ interestingΒ thanΒ theirs.

VocΓͺs sΓ£o mais espertos que os seus amigos.
You areΒ smater thanΒ your friends.

Special Cases

When we use the adjectives bom (good), ruim (bad), grande (big) and pequeno (small) to talk about superiority, the wordΒ mais isΒ not used. Take a look:

Comparatives in Portuguese. bom > melhor ruim > pior grande > maior pequeno > menor

Examples

Caipirinha Γ© melhor do que cerveja.
Caipirinha is better than beer.

Eu acho que clima frio Γ© pior do que clima quente.
I think cold weather is worse than hot weather.

SΓ£o Paulo Γ© maior que o Rio de Janeiro.
SΓ£o Paulo is bigger than Rio de Janeiro.

O Brasil Γ© menor que a RΓΊssia.
Brazil is smaller than Russia.

Comparative of Inferiority

Comparatives in Portuguese. Ele Γ© menos tΓ­mido que ela. He is less shy than her. Comparative of inferiority.

Let’s see now, some structures using the comparatives of inferiority.Β You just have to substitute the word mais by the word menos:

Examples

Maria Γ© menos rΓ‘pida que o irmΓ£o dela.
Maria isΒ lessΒ fastΒ thanΒ her brother.

Ele Γ© menos inteligente que os amigos.
He isΒ lessΒ intelligentΒ thanΒ his friends.

NΓ³s somos menos preocupados do que as pessoas da cidade vizinha.
We areΒ lessΒ worriedΒ thanΒ the people of the other city.

O Rio Γ© menos populoso do que SΓ£o Paulo.
Rio isΒ lessΒ populousΒ thanΒ SΓ£o Paulo.

As lanchonetes sΓ£o menos caras do que os restaurantes.
The snack bars areΒ lessΒ expensiveΒ thanΒ the restaurants.

As revistas em quadrinhos sΓ£o menos interessantes que os livros.
The comic books areΒ lessΒ interestingΒ thanΒ books.

Os homens sΓ£o menos cuidadosos que as mulheres.
Men areΒ lessΒ carefulΒ thanΒ women.

 

Comparative ofΒ Equality

 

Comparatives in Portuguese. Ele Γ© tΓ£o inteligente quanto ela. He is as intelligent as her. Comparative of equality

Let’s finish talking about the comparative of equality. We use the comparatives of equality to talk about things that are the same (or very similar) in quantity or quality.Β Let’s see some sentences using the comparatives of equality:

Examples

Maria Γ© tΓ£o alta quanto JosΓ©.
Maria isΒ asΒ tallΒ asΒ JosΓ©.

Marcos Γ© tΓ£o inteligente quanto Naomi.
Marcos isΒ asΒ intelligentΒ asΒ Naomi.

Moraes lΓͺ tantos livros quanto LuΓ­za.
Moraes readsΒ as manyΒ booksΒ asΒ LuΓ­za.

Rui viu tantos filmes quanto sua esposa.
Rui watchedΒ as manyΒ moviesΒ asΒ his wife.

Maria trabalha tanto quanto JosΓ©.
Maria worksΒ as much asΒ JosΓ©.

JoΓ£o estuda tanto quanto o irmΓ£o.
JoΓ£o studiesΒ as much asΒ his brother.

Marta lΓͺ tanto quanto Joselha.
Marta readsΒ as much asΒ Joselha.

As you can see, for comparatives of equality we use the wordsΒ tΓ£o and tanto. You can see more examples of this on this Dica about TΓ£o and Tanto in Portuguese.

 

Remember, for you to use comparatives in Portuguese you should always refer to two objects. How about an exercise to practice a little?

Now it’s your turn!

Complete the sentences using the correct comparative:

  1. (superioridade) O Rio de Janeiro Γ© ____ bonito ____ Buenos Aires.
  2. (inferioridade) Os preΓ§os da lanchonete sΓ£o ____ caros ____ os do restaurante.
  3. (igualdade) A vida na praia Γ© ___ tranquila _____ nas montanhas.
  4. (inferioridade) A vida na cidade Γ© ____ tranquila _____ no campo.
  5. (superioridade) SΓ£o Paulo tem ____ habitantes ____ o Rio de Janeiro.
  6. (igualdade) JoΓ£o Γ© ___ inteligente _____ o irmΓ£o dele.
  7. (superioridade) NΓ³s temos ____ livros ____ eles.
  8. (igualdade) Marina Γ© ____ alta ______ a colega.
  9. (superioridade) Seu carro Γ© muito _____ caro _____ o meu.
  10. (igualdade) Ele nΓ£o tem _________ amigos _________ vocΓͺ.

That’s all folks! Now, we know a bit more about eachΒ comparative in Portuguese.

So long!
Hugs fromΒ Rio de Janeiro!

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Clique nos links abaixo para ver mais Dicas relacionadas:
Portuguese Present Tense of Ser
Conjugation of the Verb Ser in Portuguese
Present Tense of Ser, Estar and Ter in Portuguese

Adjetives in Portuguese
The opposites in Portuguese
Superlative in Portuguese

Answers

  1. mais – que
  2. menos – que
  3. tΓ£o – quanto
  4. menos – do que
  5. mais – que
  6. tΓ£o – quanto
  7. mais – do que
  8. tΓ£o – quanto
  9. mais – do que
  10. tantos – quanto