Comparative and Superlative Adverbs

Just like adjectives, Spanish adverbs can be compared: something can be done more quickly, less carefully, or as fast as possible. The mechanics are very similar to adjective comparison — but because adverbs don't agree with anything, there are no endings to worry about.

Comparatives: Más and Menos

To compare two things, sandwich the adverb between más / menos and que:

  • más
    • adverb + que = more ... than
  • menos
    • adverb + que = less ... than
  • tan
    • adverb + como = as ... as

Habla más rápidamente que yo.

He speaks more quickly than I do.

Llegué menos tarde que ayer.

I arrived less late than yesterday.

Canta tan bien como su hermana.

She sings as well as her sister.

Irregular Comparative Adverbs

A handful of common adverbs have irregular comparative forms — they don't take más or menos. These are the same irregular roots used for adjectives.

AdverbComparativeMeaning
bienmejorbetter
malpeorworse
muchomásmore
pocomenosless

Canto mejor que antes.

I sing better than before.

Hoy duermo peor que nunca.

Today I'm sleeping worse than ever.

Ahora estudio más que el año pasado.

Now I study more than last year.

💡
Don't say más bien when you mean "better" — it's mejor. Más bien exists but it means something different ("rather" or "more specifically"). Same with más mal (wrong) versus peor (right).

Comparing Amounts

When you're comparing amounts of actions rather than how they're done, use más que or menos que after the verb.

Trabajo más que tú.

I work more than you do.

Come menos que antes.

He eats less than before.

For comparisons involving numbers, use más de or menos de instead of más que / menos que.

Esperé más de una hora.

I waited more than an hour.

Equality With Tanto ... Como

For equal comparisons of amount (not degree), use tanto como after the verb. Tanto doesn't change because it's acting as an adverb.

Estudia tanto como yo.

She studies as much as I do.

No viajo tanto como antes.

I don't travel as much as I used to.

Superlatives: Lo Más ... Posible

Spanish adverbs don't form a true "most" superlative the way adjectives do (el más alto). Instead, to say something is done as X as possible, use the formula lo más + adverb + posible.

Corre lo más rápido posible.

Run as fast as possible.

Llegué lo más temprano que pude.

I arrived as early as I could.

Hablen lo más claramente posible.

Speak as clearly as possible.

You can also use lo menos for the opposite direction:

Gasté lo menos posible.

I spent as little as possible.

💡
The lo más ... posible pattern is one of the most useful Spanish constructions to memorize. You can drop almost any adverb or even an adjective into the middle: lo más temprano posible, lo más barato posible, lo más cómodo posible.

Absolute Superlative: -ísimo

Just as adjectives can take -ísimo to mean "extremely," a few adverbs can too — especially bien (→ bienísimo), mal (→ malísimo), and mucho (→ muchísimo).

Me gusta muchísimo esta canción.

I like this song an awful lot.

Bailamos bienísimo en la fiesta.

We danced really well at the party.

Most -mente adverbs don't form an -ísimo version. If you need to intensify one, use muy or extremadamente instead.

Cada Vez Más

A useful idiom: cada vez más ("more and more") and cada vez menos ("less and less"). You can follow it with an adverb or an adjective.

Habla cada vez más rápido.

He speaks faster and faster.

Viene cada vez menos.

He comes less and less.

Common mistakes

❌ Ella corre más rápida que yo.

Wrong: using the adjective form instead of the adverb.

✅ Ella corre más rápido que yo.

Correct: rápido works as an adverb here — no gender agreement.

❌ Él habla más buenamente que ella.

Wrong: bien has an irregular comparative — use mejor.

✅ Él habla mejor que ella.

Correct: mejor replaces más bien.

❌ Canta tan bueno como su hermana.

Wrong: bueno is an adjective; use the adverb bien.

✅ Canta tan bien como su hermana.

Correct: bien is the adverb form.

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