Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn to express extremes in French using superlatives like "le plus" (the most) and "le moins" (the least), with examples such as "la plus gentille" (the kindest) and "le moins stressé" (the least stressed). Master these key phrases to describe maximum and minimum qualities effectively.
  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: "Le plus", "Le moins", and More

This lesson introduces the basic French superlative forms used to express the highest or lowest degree of a quality, quantity, or intensity. At an elementary (A1) level, you will learn to form and recognize masculine, feminine, and plural superlatives, which are essential for describing people, things, and situations in everyday conversation.

What Are Superlatives?

Superlatives highlight extremes, such as the most or the least of a particular adjective. In French, the superlative combines a definite article with plus (more/the most) or moins (less/the least), preceding the adjective:

  • Le plus gentil – The nicest (masculine singular)
  • La plus gentille – The nicest (feminine singular)
  • Les plus gentils – The nicest (masculine plural)
  • Le moins gentil – The least nice (masculine singular)
  • La moins gentille – The least nice (feminine singular)
  • Les moins gentils – The least nice (masculine plural)

Gender and Number Agreement

The superlative must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, just like adjectives in French. For example:

  • 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.)

Using the Complement of the Superlative

When specifying the group or category, the superlative is followed by a complement introduced by de (of), which varies depending on the noun:

La plus belle ville de France. (The most beautiful city in France.)

Key Phrases and Vocabulary

  • le plus – the most (masculine singular)
  • la plus – the most (feminine singular)
  • les plus – the most (plural)
  • le moins – the least (masculine singular)
  • la moins – the least (feminine singular)
  • les moins – the least (plural)

Comparing With English

Unlike English, which often uses suffixes like -est (e.g., "kindest") or the word "most," French systematically uses the articles le, la, les together with plus or moins. Also, French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe, whereas English adjectives are invariable.

Useful equivalents include:

  • le plus gentil = "the nicest" (masculine singular)
  • la moins courageuse = "the least courageous" (feminine singular)
  • les plus drôles = "the funniest" (plural)

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Azéline Perrin

Bachelor Degree in Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 02:37