Os Comparativos

Os Comparativos de Igualdade e Desigualdade

Comparisons of Equality and Inequality

Comparisons of Inequality

Use mais...(do) que or menos…(do) que to express comparisons of inequality with nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

Either do que or que may be used to express than.

Ex: 1.Quando a Marta era criança, tinha (mais, menos) amigos do que o Paulo. 

When Marta was a child, she had (more, fewer) friends than Paulo.

 2. Ela era (mais, menos) animada que ele. 

She was (more, less) lively than him.

3. Saía (mais, menos) do que ele. 

She went out (more, less) than him.

Comparisons of Inequality

Use de instead of (do) que before numbers.

Há mais de dez mil pessoas no desfile.    

There are more than ten thousand people in the parade.

No ano passado havia menos de cinco mil.  

Last year there were fewer than five thousand.

Comparisons of Inequality

mais = superioridade

menos = inferioridade

equality = igualdade

The following adjectives have irregular comparative forms. 

bom - melhor better

ruim/mau - pior worse

pequeno - menor smaller

grande - maior bigger

Esta banda é melhor, pior do que aquela. 

This band is better, worse than that one.

Comparisons of Inequality

When bem and mal function as adverbs, they have the same irregular comparative forms as bom and mau.

Bem = melhor  Eu canto melhor do que o João. I sing better than João.

Mal = pior     O João canta pior que eu.       João sings worse than me.

Comparisons of Equality (Just/Like)

Use tão…quanto/ como which means as…as for adjectives & adverbs

tanto/a…quanto /como which means as much...as for singular nouns

tantos/as…quanto/como which means as many…as for plural nouns

tanto quanto/como which means as much as for verbs

The preferred form is tanto/tão…quanto in Brazilian Portuguese and tanto/tão…como in European Portuguese.