Learn French Language Guide - Learn French Grammar

Learn French: Superlatives (greatest inferiority or superiority)

To form a superlative in French, combine the appropriate definite article with:

    -- “plus” and an adjective/adverb to express greatest superiority (e.g. le plus loin / the farthest).

    -- “moins” and an adjective/adverb to express greatest inferiority (e.g. la moins haute / the least high). 

The appropriate definite ar.ticles in French are:

    -- le if the noun the adjective refers to is singular and masculine.

Le plus grand arbre (sing., masc.) de la forêt / The greatest tree in the forest.

    -- la if the noun the adjective refers to is singular and feminine.

La pire aventure (sing., fem.) de sa vie / The worse adventure of his life.

    -- le with an adverb.

Le plus facilement possible / In the easiest way possible.

    -- les if the noun the adjective refers to is plural (either masculine or feminine).

Les plus grandes soldes (plur., fem.) de l’année / The biggest sales of the year.

For adjectives and adverbs, you must use the comparative form expressing superiority to build the superlative in French. For all but the six exceptions listed below (3 adjectives & 3 adverbs), this comparative form is the same as the adjective (e.g. excitant => le plus excitant / exciting => the most exciting) or adverb (e.g. souvent => le moins souvent / often => the least often) itself. 

Examples:

Ils viennent d’ouvrir le plus grand magasin de Paris / They just opened the greatest store in Paris.

Elle veut la solution la plus rapide / She wants the quickest solution.

Tu voulais le prix le plus bas / You wanted the lowest price.

The superlatives of the irregular adjectives/adverbs in French are as follows:

Irregular Adjective Superlative:

bon => good

mauvais  => bad

le/la/les plus mauvais(e)(s) (le/la/les pire(s)) => worst (superlative)

le/la/les plus petit(e)(s) (le/la/les moindre(s)) =>smallest (superlative) 

Irregular Adverb Superlative:

bien  =>  well

le mieux (NOT le plus bien)   =>  best (superlative) 

**le/la/les moins (NOT le plus peu)   => least (superlative)

beaucoup => very, much

**le/la/les plus (NOT le plus beaucoup)  =>  most (superlative)

** These two are exceptions to the “only le + adverb” rule. This is because they serve as the superlative forms of adverbs peu and beaucoup but they also serve as the basis for expressing the superlative of inferiority or superiority with adjectives. 

Examples:

    Faites le mieux que vous pouvez! / Do the best you can!

    De nous tous, elle aime le chien le moins / Of us all, she loves the dog the least.