Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to use French superlatives like "le plus" and "le moins" to express the highest or lowest degree of a quality. This lesson covers gender and number agreement, the use of definite articles, and complements introduced with "de" to specify comparisons. Examples include "La plus belle ville de France" and "Paul est la personne la plus gentille que je connaisse." Clear explanations help you form and understand superlative phrases for masculine, feminine, and plural forms.
  1. The complement of the superlative is introduced by de, de la, de l', du, des. Example: La plus belle ville de France.
 Degré maximum (Maximum degree)Degré minimum (Minimum degree)
Masculin (Masculine)Le plus Le plus gentil.  (The kindest.)Le moinsLe moins gentil.  (The least kind.)
Féminin (Feminine)La plusLa plus gentille.  (The kindest.)La moinsLa moins gentille.  (The least kind.)
Pluriel (Plural)Les plusLes plus gentils.  (The kindest.)Les moinsLes moins gentils. (The least kind)

Exercise 1: Les superlatifs: "Le plus, Le moins,etc..."

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

les moins, la moins, le plus, le moins, la plus

1. Positif :
Il est ... gentil de la classe.
(He is the kindest in the class.)
2. Négatif:
Lundi est le jour ... apprécié de la semaine.
(Monday is the least liked day of the week.)
3. Positif :
Mon frère est ... fort de l'équipe.
(My brother is the strongest in the team.)
4. Négatif:
C'est ... stressée de l'équipe.
(She is the least stressed in the team.)
5. Négatif:
Je mange ... bons plats à l'école.
(I eat the worst dishes at school.)
6. Négatif:
Je trouve que Paul est ... agréable.
(I find that Paul is the least likeable.)
7. Positif:
C'est la voiture ... rapide que je conduis.
(This is the fastest car I drive.)
8. Positif :
Mon ami est ... amusant du groupe.
(My friend is the funniest in the group.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Paul est la personne ___ que je connaisse.

(Paul is the ___ person I know.)

2. Marie paraît ___ de son groupe.

(Marie looks ___ in her group.)

3. Ils sont les camarades ___ de la classe.

(They are the ___ classmates in the class.)

4. C’est le garçon ___ de la famille.

(He is the ___ boy in the family.)

5. Elle est ___ de ses amies.

(She is ___ of her friends.)

6. Je connais les gens ___ du quartier.

(I know the ___ people in the neighborhood.)

Understanding French Superlatives

This lesson focuses on the French superlative forms, which express the highest or lowest degree of a quality, quantity, or intensity. You will learn how to form and use superlatives like le plus (the most) and le moins (the least) for masculine, feminine, and plural subjects.

Key Structures and Examples

  • Masculine: Le plus gentil (the nicest), Le moins gentil (the least nice)
  • Feminine: La plus gentille, La moins gentille
  • Plural: Les plus gentils, Les moins gentils

These forms are used to highlight extremes, indicating either the maximum or minimum of a particular quality.

Using Complements with Superlatives

When specifying the group or object being compared, the complement of the superlative is introduced by prepositions such as de, du, de la, de l', or des. For example, La plus belle ville de France means "the most beautiful city in France."

Practical Notes

Unlike in English, the French superlatives use definite articles (le, la, les) before plus or moins, which agree in gender and number with the noun described. For example:

  • He is le plus intelligent (masculine singular)
  • She is la moins fatiguée (feminine singular)
  • They are les plus rapides (plural)

Common Useful Phrases

  • Paul est la personne la plus gentille que je connaisse. – Paul is the nicest person I know.
  • Marie paraît la moins stressée de son groupe. – Marie seems the least stressed in her group.
  • C'est le garçon le moins paresseux de la famille. – He is the least lazy boy in the family.

Differences to English

French superlatives always include the definite article before "plus" or "moins," unlike English superlatives which don’t use articles (e.g., "the most beautiful" vs. simply "most beautiful"). Additionally, in French, the article changes to match the gender and number of the noun described. Moreover, when specifying the group, French requires the preposition de or its variants, equivalent to "of" or "in" in English. This structure emphasizes precise comparisons within a set.

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Azéline Perrin

Bachelor Degree in Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 15:52