FrenchCrazy is the BEST French-learning resource out there.

See what I did there? I used the superlative.

“The best” indicates that there’s nothing better than FrenchCrazy in terms of learning French. So how would you say the same thing in French? Did you ever wondering how to say things like the best, the worst, the most interesting, etc…?

Today we’re going to cover how to effectively use superlatives in French because it’s pretty handy for everyday speech!

After reading this article on the French superlative you should understand:

• What is the superlative and how is it used in both French and English
• How do you form the superlative in French

Let’s get started!

What is the French Superlative?

In English you could say → Geography is less complicated than Biology.

In French this would be → La géographie est moins compliquée que la biologie.

You notice that we’re comparing one class, Geography to another one. However, we’re not saying that Geography is the least complicated. To say that would mean that we’d have to use the superlative – when your comparison reaches an extreme point and there is nothing past that point.

“Geography is the least complicated class EVER!” → superlative sentence, where Geography is compared to every other class known and we’re establishing that there is nothing that beats it in terms of ease.

So how would you say that in French?

In this case, you must say “est LA moins compliquée” or even “LA plus facile.”

La géographie est la matière la moins compliquée !
Geography is the least complicated subject.

La géographie est la matière la plus facile !
Geography is the easiest subject.

By the way, I’m not trying to insult Geography… I’m simply using it an example.

What are some other instances of the superlative in French?

Sandra est la plus jolie des pom-pom girls.
Sandra is the prettiest cheerleader.

Le rugby est le sport le plus intéressant.
Rugby is the most interesting sport.

Paris est la ville la plus peuplée de France.
Paris is the most populated city in France.

How do you form the superlative in French?

The big difference between a superlative and a comparative sentence would be using “le/la/les.” These are definitive articles which translated to “the” in English.

1. If the superlative or comparison happens to be an adjective or adverb then you’d construct your sentence as follows:

Elle est douée.
She is gifted (normal sentence without the use of a comparison).

— Comparative: plus / moins / aussi + adjective/adverb

Elle est plus douée que Martha.
She is more gifted than Martha.

— Superlative: le-la-les plus/le-la-les moins + adjective/adverb

Elle est la plus douée
She is the most gifted (AKA nobody is more gifted than her).

2. If the superlative or comparison is a noun, then you’ll craft your sentence this way:

— Comparative: plus de / moins de / autant de + noun

Les Français mangent plus de pizzas que les Italiens.
The French eat more pizza than the Italians.

— Superlative: le plus de / le moins de + noun

Mais, les plus gros consommateurs de pizzas sont les Américains.
But the biggest pizza-eaters are the Americans.

3. If the superlative or comparison is a verb then the construction would be:

– Comparative: verb + plus/moins/autant

Il parle plus.
He speaks more.

– Superlative: verb + le plus/le moins

Il parle le plus.
He speaks the most.

I hope this series helped you understand how to form the French superlative. If you want to learn French in a more comprehensive manner, you should try this out. Any questions or comments can be made in the section below!