Comparative Conjunctions (Como, Do que, Tanto… como) | Portuguese (Portugal) Grammar

Comparative conjunctions (conjunções comparativas) let speakers compare two things — their qualities, quantities, actions, or circumstances. English manages with "as," "like," "than," "as much as," and "the same as." Portuguese has a slightly richer toolkit, with distinctions that matter: do que for inequality, como for equality and similarity, tanto…como for quantitative equality, and a special counterfactual construction como se + imperfect subjunctive that does what English handles with "as if" or "as though."

This is the most syntactically varied of the conjunction families, because comparatives can attach to adjectives, adverbs, nouns, or verbs, and the governed clause can be a full finite clause or a reduced phrase. The goal of this page is to give you the complete map, with an eye to the PT-PT choices (like the slight preference for tanto…como over tanto…quanto).

The master table

Comparison	Formula	Example skeleton
Inequality: more than	mais + adj/adv/noun/verb + do que	mais alto do que ele
Inequality: less than	menos + adj/adv/noun/verb + do que	menos caro do que aquele
Equality: as … as (adj/adv)	tão + adj/adv + como (or quanto)	tão rápido como tu
Equality: as much/many … as (noun/verb)	tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas … como	tanto dinheiro como ele
Similarity: like, as	como	trabalha como um cão
Explicit similarity: just as	tal como, assim como, bem como	tal como tu disseste
Counterfactual: as if	como se + imperfect subjunctive	fala como se soubesse tudo
The same … as	o mesmo (+ noun) que / do que	o mesmo livro que eu
According to / in accordance with	conforme, segundo, consoante	conforme ele disse

Inequality — do que

Do que is the canonical Portuguese "than" — invariable, clear, and used with all four major categories (adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs). The comparative word is mais ("more") or menos ("less").

Ela é mais alta do que o irmão.

She's taller than her brother.

Trabalho mais horas do que tu.

I work more hours than you.

Este café é menos forte do que o de ontem.

This coffee is less strong than yesterday's.

Hoje fala mais depressa do que ontem.

Today she's speaking more quickly than yesterday.

Do que vs que — both exist

Some grammarians and writers prefer the short form que instead of do que in comparisons with a noun or pronoun: é mais alta que o irmão. Both are grammatical in PT-PT. Do que is more emphatic and more common in careful speech and writing; que sounds lighter and is favoured in some stylistic contexts.

Ela é mais alta que o irmão.

She's taller than her brother. (shorter form — also standard)

With verb phrases, full clauses, or when clarity matters, do que is the safe choice:

Fala mais alto do que eu falo.

He speaks louder than I speak.

Vieram mais pessoas do que estávamos à espera.

More people came than we were expecting.

Numerical comparisons — mais de / menos de

When comparing with a number, PT-PT uses mais de / menos de, not do que:

Há mais de vinte pessoas à espera.

There are more than twenty people waiting.

O espetáculo dura menos de duas horas.

The show lasts less than two hours.

This is a purely syntactic rule — numbers take de, not do que.

Equality with adjectives and adverbs — tão … como

For equal comparisons of quality (adjectives and adverbs), PT-PT uses tão + adj/adv + como. Tão is invariable.

É tão inteligente como a irmã.

She is as smart as her sister.

Corre tão depressa como um profissional.

He runs as fast as a professional.

Este prato é tão bom como o de ontem.

This dish is as good as yesterday's.

Tão … quanto is also grammatical and you will see it in writing, but it is slightly more formal or BR-flavoured. In PT-PT, tão…como is the dominant everyday choice.

Ela é tão inteligente quanto a irmã.

She is as smart as her sister. (slightly more formal / BR-leaning)

Equality with nouns and verbs — tanto … como

For equal comparisons of quantity (with nouns and verbs), PT-PT uses tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + (noun) + como. With nouns, tanto agrees in gender and number; with verbs, it is invariable.

With nouns — agreement

Tenho tanto tempo como tu.

I have as much time as you.

Ela tem tanta paciência como a mãe.

She has as much patience as her mother.

Lá havia tantos turistas como no ano passado.

There were as many tourists there as last year.

Recebi tantas mensagens como tu.

I got as many messages as you.

With verbs — invariable

Trabalho tanto como ele.

I work as much as he does.

Comeu tanto como uma pessoa adulta.

He ate as much as an adult.

Choveu tanto como no outro dia.

It rained as much as the other day.

💡

Quick test for tão vs tanto in comparisons: with an adjective or adverb, always tão (tão alto como, tão depressa como); with a noun, always tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas (tanta água como, tantos amigos como); with a verb, tanto invariable (corre tanto como). The como stays the same in all three.

Similarity — como

On its own, como means "like" or "as" in the sense of similarity. It does not carry a degree word; it simply asserts resemblance.

O meu filho é teimoso como o pai.

My son is stubborn like his father.

Ela fala português como uma nativa.

She speaks Portuguese like a native.

Correu como um maluco.

He ran like a madman.

Trata-me como se fosse da família.

He treats me as if I were family. (note: *como se* + imperfect subjunctive — see below)

With full clauses and indicative verbs, como also introduces manner comparisons:

Fiz como tu me disseste.

I did it as you told me to.

As coisas correram como esperávamos.

Things went as we were hoping.

Tal como, assim como, bem como — emphatic similarity

These three locutions mean "just as," "just like," or "as well as." They introduce an explicit, emphasised parallel.

Tal como te disse, o filme é excelente.

Just as I told you, the film is excellent.

Assim como o pai, ele adora cozinhar.

Just like his father, he loves cooking.

Os alunos, bem como os professores, estão convidados.

The students, as well as the teachers, are invited.

Bem como has a secondary life as an additive connector ("as well as") — it often attaches a second subject to a list. Tal como and assim como are more strictly comparative.

Como se + imperfect subjunctive — "as if"

This is the counterfactual comparison and a signature Portuguese construction. Como se introduces an "as if" clause and always takes the imperfect subjunctive (or, for prior events, the pluperfect subjunctive). The comparison is hypothetical or contrary to fact.

Fala como se soubesse tudo.

He talks as if he knew everything. (he doesn't)

Tratava-me como se eu fosse uma criança.

He was treating me as if I were a child.

Olhou para mim como se me conhecesse.

She looked at me as if she knew me.

Agiu como se fosse dono disto.

He acted as if he were the owner of this.

Comportas-te como se não tivesses ouvido nada.

You're behaving as if you hadn't heard anything. (pluperfect subjunctive — prior event)

💡

Como se never takes the indicative. Fala como se sabe tudo is wrong — it has to be fala como se soubesse tudo. The logic is that the "as if" clause is by definition counterfactual: the person doesn't know everything; they just act as if they did. Portuguese marks that counterfactuality with the imperfect subjunctive. It is the same mood you find in se eu fosse tu — the "if I were you" of Pattern 3 in the conditional page.

O mesmo … que — "the same … as"

O mesmo / a mesma / os mesmos / as mesmas (agreeing with the noun) + (noun) + que expresses identity-comparison: "the same X as."

Comprei o mesmo livro que tu.

I bought the same book as you.

Ele tem a mesma idade que a minha irmã.

He's the same age as my sister.

Fizemos os mesmos erros que no ano passado.

We made the same mistakes as last year.

Gosta das mesmas coisas que eu.

She likes the same things as me.

PT-PT sometimes uses do que in this pattern too (o mesmo livro do que tu), but que is the more standard choice here.

Conforme, segundo, consoante — "according to, as"

These three are close cousins — all meaning "according to" or "as" in the sense of conformity. They sit in semi-formal and formal register.

Conforme and segundo

Both mean "according to" and typically introduce a clause with the indicative or a noun phrase.

Conforme acordámos, encontramo-nos às oito.

As we agreed, we'll meet at eight.

Segundo o jornal, a greve foi cancelada.

According to the newspaper, the strike was called off.

Conforme o que decidires, eu faço o resto.

Depending on what you decide, I'll do the rest. (+ future subjunctive for future)

Segundo me disseram, a reunião foi adiada.

According to what they told me, the meeting was postponed.

Consoante — "depending on"

Consoante has a slightly different flavour: "depending on" or "in accordance with," often with a sense of variation. It takes the indicative or the present subjunctive (depending on register and whether the condition is open).

O preço varia consoante a época do ano.

The price varies depending on the time of year.

Consoante o que vires, decides se queres ficar.

Depending on what you see, you decide whether you want to stay.

Posso ir de carro ou de comboio, consoante o tempo que tiver.

I can go by car or by train, depending on how much time I have.

These three locutions appear often in formal writing — journalism, legal text, academic prose — and occasionally in semi-formal speech. In casual conversation, PT-PT speakers more often use como ("como tu disseste") or a paraphrase.

Quanto mais … mais, quanto menos … menos — proportional comparison

Portuguese expresses "the more … the more" with quanto mais … mais and "the less … the less" with quanto menos … menos. These are used freely in both speech and writing.

Quanto mais estudo, mais confuso fico.

The more I study, the more confused I get.

Quanto menos dizes, melhor.

The less you say, the better.

Quanto mais cedo sairmos, mais cedo chegamos.

The earlier we leave, the earlier we arrive. (future subjunctive *sairmos*)

With future reference, the quanto mais clause triggers the future subjunctive — the same logic as any future-referring subordinate clause in PT-PT.

Comparison with verbs — mood in the second clause

One subtle point: when the comparison is with a full clause containing a verb, the verb is in the indicative if the comparison is factual, and shifts to the subjunctive — specifically the imperfect subjunctive — for counterfactual or projected comparisons.

Factual comparison — indicative

Trabalho mais horas do que ele trabalha.

I work more hours than he works.

Fala melhor do que todos esperavam.

He speaks better than everyone was expecting.

Counterfactual / projected — imperfect subjunctive (with como se)

Portas-te como se fosses o chefe.

You're behaving as if you were the boss. (counterfactual)

This is where como se is obligatory — no other comparative conjunction triggers the subjunctive in PT-PT in the same systematic way.

Comparisons in context

Casual conversation

O Pedro come tanto como três pessoas juntas.

Pedro eats as much as three people combined.

An observation about a film

Este filme é muito melhor do que o anterior.

This film is much better than the previous one.

Self-deprecation

Canto tão mal como um corvo.

I sing as badly as a crow.

An imagined scenario

Olhava para mim como se eu tivesse dois narizes.

He was looking at me as if I had two noses.

In a news article

Segundo o relatório, a economia cresceu menos do que o previsto.

According to the report, the economy grew less than expected.

Expressing a trend

Quanto mais velho fica, mais teimoso se torna.

The older he gets, the more stubborn he becomes.

Common mistakes

❌ Ela é mais inteligente de os irmãos.

Wrong — Portuguese does not use *de* alone for 'than' with a noun phrase; use *do que* or *que*.

✅ Ela é mais inteligente do que os irmãos. / Ela é mais inteligente que os irmãos.

She is smarter than her siblings. (Both forms are standard in PT-PT; *do que* is slightly more emphatic.)

❌ Tenho tão tempo como tu.

Wrong — *tempo* is a noun, so use *tanto*.

✅ Tenho tanto tempo como tu.

I have as much time as you.

❌ Fala como se sabe tudo.

Wrong — *como se* requires the imperfect subjunctive.

✅ Fala como se soubesse tudo.

He talks as if he knew everything.

❌ Há mais do que vinte pessoas à espera.

Wrong — with a number, use *mais de*, not *do que*.

✅ Há mais de vinte pessoas à espera.

There are more than twenty people waiting.

❌ Ele tem a mesma idade como eu.

Wrong — the pattern is *o mesmo … que*, not *como*.

✅ Ele tem a mesma idade que eu.

He's the same age as me.

❌ Tanto mais estudo, mais confuso fico.

Wrong formula — PT-PT uses *quanto mais … mais*.

✅ Quanto mais estudo, mais confuso fico.