Filipino normally expresses “more … than” with mas + property word + kaysa + standard of comparison. The property word does not acquire an English-style ending: mas tahimik is “quieter,” mas mura is “cheaper,” and mas praktikal is “more practical.”
As elsewhere in Filipino, a property word can head the predicate directly. Mas tahimik dito needs no equivalent of is, and a comparison does not force English subject–verb–object order. The broader predicate-first pattern is introduced in The Basic Predicate-First Clause.
The basic comparison
| Part | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mas | marks a greater degree | mas tahimik “quieter” |
| property predicate | states the dimension compared | Mas tahimik ang silid |
| kaysa | introduces the standard | kaysa sa sala “than the living room” |
| full neutral pattern | compares two participants | Mas tahimik ang silid kaysa sa sala. |
Mas presko sa balkonahe kaysa sa loob ng bahay.
It is cooler on the balcony than inside the house. (neutral)
Mas maagang dumating si Lorna kaysa sa amin.
Lorna arrived earlier than we did. (neutral)
The second example compares times of arrival, not permanent qualities. Filipino property expressions can modify an understood event without requiring an English comparative suffix. Full comparative-clause syntax can make the missing material explicit, but everyday speech often leaves repeated material understood.
Marking the standard after kaysa
With a common noun, demonstrative, place, or general phrase, kaysa sa is a dependable neutral pattern. With a singular personal name, use kaysa kay; with plural personal names, use kaysa kina. Bare kaysa before a noun also occurs in contemporary conversation, but retaining the marker makes the participant type especially clear.
Mas malapit ang klinika kaysa sa munisipyo.
The clinic is closer than the municipal hall. (neutral)
Mas matangkad si Paolo kaysa kay Nico.
Paolo is taller than Nico. (neutral)
Mas abala kami kaysa sa kanila ngayong linggo.
We are busier than they are this week. (neutral)
In kaysa kay Nico, kay is the personal oblique marker. It is not the elevated intensifier in Kay ganda! See kay for singular personal obliques for the marker system. The plural pronoun kanila follows sa as part of sa kanila.
The shorter sa alone can introduce a standard in established comparisons: Mas malaki ito roon would instead compare locations or contexts, while Mas malaki ito sa isa can mean “This is bigger than the other one.” For A2 production, kaysa sa/kay/kina is clearer and avoids confusing a comparison with location.
Predicative and attributive use
When mas + adjective heads the clause, there is no linker between it and the pivot. When it modifies a following noun, add the regular linker.
Mas tahimik ang mesang ito kaysa sa mesa sa tabi ng pinto.
This table is quieter than the table beside the door. (neutral predicative comparison)
Lumipat tayo sa mas tahimik na mesa kaysa sa mesang ito.
Let’s move to a quieter table than this one. (neutral attributive comparison)
The first mas tahimik is the predicate. In the second, mas tahimik na mesa is one noun phrase, so consonant-final tahimik takes separate linker na. With vowel-final mura, the corresponding phrase is mas murang kuwarto.
Nakakita si Mara ng mas murang kuwarto malapit sa unibersidad.
Mara found a cheaper room near the university. (neutral; the comparison standard is understood from context)
An explicit kaysa phrase is not obligatory when the conversation already supplies the standard. English behaves similarly in “We found a cheaper room.” The comparative still presupposes some earlier price or option.
Questions and negation
Mas mabilis ba ang tren kaysa sa bus kapag matindi ang trapiko?
Is the train faster than the bus when traffic is heavy? (neutral question)
Hindi mas mura ang maliit na pakete kaysa sa malaki.
The small package is not cheaper than the large one. (neutral)
The negative sentence denies only “cheaper.” It permits equal price or a higher price. To assert the opposite comparison, say Mas mahal ang maliit na pakete kaysa sa malaki. Do not assume that negating one inequality automatically states the reverse.
Mas kaunti and mas marami compare quantity; mas mababa and mas mataas can compare measurements, prices, levels, or physical height as context allows. These meanings are lexical and contextual, not changes in the grammar of mas.
Alternatives and register
Mas is neutral across conversation and ordinary writing. Higit na is a common (formal) alternative in careful exposition: higit na malinaw “clearer/more clearly.” Di-hamak na mas means “far/much more” and strongly widens the difference. Lalo pang means “even more/still more,” often relating the new degree to an earlier state rather than introducing a simple two-item comparison.
Do not stack these forms without a reason. Mas higit na is often redundant in careful prose, although it occurs in actual speech. Mas plus a reduplicated adjective can carry special meanings in some contexts, but reduplication is not required to form an ordinary comparative.
A short exchange
— Alin ang kukunin natin, ang pula o ang asul? — Mas magaan ang asul, pero mas matibay ang pula.
— Which one should we get, the red one or the blue one? — The blue one is lighter, but the red one is sturdier. (informal conversation)
The standards are omitted because each clause contrasts the two already named choices. Repeating kaysa sa pula and kaysa sa asul would be grammatical but unnecessarily heavy.
Common Mistakes
1. Adding a copula before the property predicate
❌ Mas ay tahimik ang silid kaysa sa kusina.
Incorrect — ay is not an equivalent of English ‘is.’
✅ Mas tahimik ang silid kaysa sa kusina.
The room is quieter than the kitchen. (neutral)
2. Omitting the linker before a noun
❌ Kailangan natin ng mas malaki mesa.
Incorrect — malaki and mesa must be linked.
✅ Kailangan natin ng mas malaking mesa.
We need a bigger table. (neutral)
3. Using sa before a personal name
❌ Mas bata si Pia kaysa sa Ramon.
Nonstandard careful marking — a singular personal name takes kay.
✅ Mas bata si Pia kaysa kay Ramon.
Pia is younger than Ramon. (neutral)
4. Doubling comparative morphology
❌ Mas pinakamabilis ang rutang ito kaysa sa isa.
Incorrect for an ordinary two-way comparison — mas and pinaka- express different comparison structures.
✅ Mas mabilis ang rutang ito kaysa sa isa.
This route is faster than the other one. (neutral)
Key Takeaways
- Put mas before an unchanged property expression: mas tahimik, mas praktikal.
- Introduce an explicit standard with kaysa sa, kaysa kay, or kaysa kina as appropriate.
- Property predicates take no copula; attributive property words still take a linker.
- The standard may be omitted when context makes it recoverable.
- Negating “more” does not automatically mean “less”; it can also mean “equal.”
Related Topics
- Adjectives as PredicatesA2 — Make complete Filipino clauses with property words directly as predicates, without adding an English-style copula.
- Linking Adjectives with na and -ngA2 — Choose -ng, -g, or separate na to connect Filipino adjectives and nouns in either order.
- Equality with kasing- and sing-A2 — Express ‘as … as’ with kasing- and sing-, including the special marking of the comparison standard and linked noun uses.
- Superlatives with pinaka-A2 — Use pinaka- to identify the highest degree within a stated or understood comparison set and link superlative modifiers correctly.
- kay for Singular Personal ObliquesA1 — Use kay before one personal name as a recipient, destination, source, relational complement, or ownership predicate.