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Lesson 24A2

Comparatives & Superlatives

താരതമ്യവും അതിശയോക്തി രൂപവും

French builds comparisons by wrapping the adjective in plus/moins/aussi...que, rather than changing the adjective's own ending — a pattern close to how Malayalam builds comparisons with -യെക്കാൾ (than).

Grammar Comparison

വ്യാകരണ താരതമ്യം

plus / moins / aussi...que

French

Elle est plus grande que moi. (She is taller than me.)

Malayalam

അവൾ എന്നെക്കാൾ ഉയരമുള്ളവളാണ്.

French comparatives use plus...que ('more...than'), moins...que ('less...than'), and aussi...que ('as...as') wrapped around the unchanged adjective. This lines up well with Malayalam's -യെക്കാൾ ('compared to/than') suffix — both languages compare with an added grammatical marker rather than reshaping the adjective itself.

le/la/les plus...: the superlative

French

C'est le plus rapide. (It's the fastest.)

Malayalam

ഇതാണ് ഏറ്റവും വേഗതയുള്ളത്.

The superlative simply adds the definite article in front of the comparative: le/la/les plus + adjective ('the most') or le/la/les moins + adjective ('the least'). The article agrees with the noun being described, and if the adjective normally follows the noun, le/la/les plus does too (la voiture la plus rapide) — Malayalam marks the same idea with ഏറ്റവും ('most') placed before the adjective, with no agreement to worry about.

Vocabulary

വാക്കുകൾ

plus rapide queplew rah-PEED kuh
Malayalam
-യെക്കാൾ വേഗതയുള്ള-yekkaal vegathayulla
English
faster than
moins cher quemwahn shair kuh
Malayalam
-യെക്കാൾ വില കുറഞ്ഞ-yekkaal vila kuranja
English
less expensive than
aussi grand queoh-SEE grahn kuh
Malayalam
-യെപ്പോലെ ഉയരമുള്ള-yeppole uyaramulla
English
as tall as
le plus rapideluh plew rah-PEED
Malayalam
ഏറ്റവും വേഗതയുള്ളത്ettavum vegathayullathu
English
the fastest
la plus grandelah plew grahnd
Malayalam
ഏറ്റവും വലുത്ettavum valuthu
English
the biggest (feminine)
les moins cherslay mwahn shair
Malayalam
ഏറ്റവും വില കുറഞ്ഞവettavum vila kuranjava
English
the least expensive (plural)
plus intéressant queplewz an-tay-reh-SAHN kuh
Malayalam
-യെക്കാൾ രസകരമായ-yekkaal rasakaramaaya
English
more interesting than
moins facile quemwahn fah-SEEL kuh
Malayalam
-യെക്കാൾ ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുള്ള-yekkaal budhimuttulla
English
less easy than