Por Vahid Alaghehband
Para comparar dos cosas, los adjetivos cortos agregan -er y los largos usan more, seguidos de than: Quito is colder than Guayaquil, This course is more expensive than that one. Para decir que algo es el máximo de un grupo se usa the + -est o the most: the tallest building, the most interesting book.
Esta guía forma parte de la gramática inglesa por nivel. Los comparativos y superlativos corresponden al nivel A2 del MCER (subnivel A2.1 en el catálogo de Vozi Grammar). El español casi siempre usa "más" (más alto, el más alto), salvo mejor, peor, mayor y menor; el inglés cambia la forma según la longitud del adjetivo.
Cómo se forman los comparativos y superlativos
| Tipo de adjetivo | Comparativo | Superlativo |
|---|---|---|
| Una sílaba (cheap, tall) | cheaper, taller + than | the cheapest, the tallest |
| Una sílaba terminada en -e (nice, large) | nicer, larger | the nicest, the largest |
| Una sílaba terminada en vocal + consonante (big, hot); no se duplican w, x, y | bigger, hotter; new → newer | the biggest, the hottest; the newest |
| Dos sílabas terminadas en -y (easy, happy) | easier, happier | the easiest, the happiest |
| Dos o más sílabas (modern, expensive) | more modern, more expensive | the most modern, the most expensive |
| Irregulares | good → better; bad → worse; far → farther / further | the best; the worst; the farthest / furthest |
| Forma | Ejemplo |
|---|---|
| Afirmativa | Lima is bigger than Quito. |
| Negativa | This test isn't as hard as the last one. |
| Pregunta | Which is older, the church or the park? |
| Respuesta corta | The church is. |
Algunos adjetivos de dos sílabas aceptan las dos formas (quieter / more quiet, simpler / more simple). Para decir que dos cosas son iguales se usa as … as: My phone is as fast as yours.
Cuándo se usan los comparativos y superlativos
Comparar dos cosas
Adjetivo comparativo + than.
- My new job is better than my old one.
- Buses are cheaper than taxis.
- This exercise is more difficult than I expected.
Destacar el extremo de un grupo
The + superlativo, y después in (lugar o grupo) u of (periodo o cantidad).
- Chimborazo is the highest mountain in Ecuador.
- It was the best day of my life.
- She's the most organized person in the office.
Igualdad y grado de diferencia
As … as para igualdad; much, a lot, a bit para matizar la diferencia.
- My brother is as tall as my dad.
- The blue shirt is a bit cheaper.
- Online classes are much more flexible.
Palabras clave
Estas palabras aparecen casi siempre con comparativos y superlativos:
- than
- as … as
- not as … as
- much / a lot / a bit + comparativo
- the … in
- the … of
- one of the + superlativo
- ever (the best I've ever seen)
Errores frecuentes de hispanohablantes
| Error | Corrección | Por qué |
|---|---|---|
| ✗ This phone is more cheaper. | ✔ This phone is cheaper. | No se combinan more y -er. |
| ✗ It's the most easiest exercise. | ✔ It's the easiest exercise. | No se combinan most y -est. |
| ✗ She is taller that me. | ✔ She is taller than me. | El "que" de la comparación es than, no that. |
| ✗ Guayaquil is the city more hot of Ecuador. | ✔ Guayaquil is the hottest city in Ecuador. | No traduzcas "la ciudad más calurosa de": el superlativo va antes del sustantivo y con lugares se usa in. |
| ✗ This coffee is more good. | ✔ This coffee is better. | Good, bad y far son irregulares. |
Comparativo vs superlativo
| Comparativo | Superlativo | |
|---|---|---|
| Cuántas cosas | Dos | Tres o más, o todo un grupo |
| Palabra clave | than | the … in / of |
| Adjetivo corto | older than | the oldest |
| Adjetivo largo | more popular than | the most popular |
| Ejemplo | Ana is younger than Luis. | Ana is the youngest in the family. |
Miniconversación
Un cliente pide consejo para elegir un celular.
A: I need a new phone. Which one is better, the black one or the white one?
B: The white one is cheaper, but the black one has a better camera.
A: Is the black one much more expensive?
B: Not much. About forty dollars more.
A: And the battery?
B: The white one's battery is bigger. It's the biggest in the store.
A: Hmm. I think the white one is the most practical option for me.
B: Good choice. It's also lighter than the black one.
10 ejercicios con respuestas
Completa con el comparativo o el superlativo. En el último, corrige el error.
- My car is ___ (old) than yours.
- This is ___ (expensive) restaurant in town.
- Today is ___ (hot) than yesterday.
- English is ___ (easy) than Chinese for me.
- She's ___ (good) player on the team.
- The movie was ___ (bad) than the book.
- Math is ___ (difficult) subject for me.
- My room isn't ___ big ___ yours.
- This road is ___ (dangerous) than the highway.
- Corrige: Lima is more big than Quito.
Ver respuestas
- older
- the most expensive
- hotter
- easier
- the best
- worse
- the most difficult
- as … as
- more dangerous
- Lima is bigger than Quito.
Siguiente paso: si no sabes tu nivel, haz el test de nivel de inglés (unos 15 minutos, con resultado al instante). Para seguir con este tema, conoce los ejercicios de gramática inglesa por nivel de Vozi Grammar.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Cómo se forman los comparativos en inglés?
Los adjetivos de una sílaba y los de dos terminados en -y agregan -er (cheaper, easier); los demás usan more (more expensive). Después va than: cheaper than, more expensive than.
¿Cuándo se usa more y cuándo -er?
-er con adjetivos cortos (una sílaba, o dos terminadas en -y) y more con los de dos o más sílabas (more modern, more interesting). Algunos adjetivos de dos sílabas admiten las dos formas (quieter / more quiet). Nunca se usan los dos juntos: more quieter es incorrecto.
¿Cuáles son los comparativos irregulares en inglés?
Los más comunes son good → better → the best, bad → worse → the worst y far → farther/further → the farthest/furthest.
¿Cómo se dice tan … como en inglés?
Con as + adjetivo + as: She's as tall as her mom. En negativa: It isn't as cold as yesterday.