When learning a new language, understanding how to express comparisons is an essential skill. In Portuguese, comparison sentences allow us to describe the similarities and differences between two or more people, objects, or situations. This guide will provide a brief and accurate introduction to Portuguese comparison sentences, including the key grammatical structures and examples to help you grasp this concept.
Comparative Adjectives and Adverbs
In Portuguese, comparisons often involve the use of comparative adjectives and adverbs. Comparative adjectives are used to compare two or more nouns, while comparative adverbs are used to compare two or more actions or qualities. To form comparative adjectives and adverbs, we use specific word endings and structures.
. Let’s consider the adjective “bonito” (beautiful). To say “more beautiful,” we would use the comparative form “mais bonito.”
Example:
O carro novo é mais bonito do que o carro antigo.
(The new car is more beautiful than the old car.)
For comparative adverbs, we typically add “mais” (more) before the adverb to indicate a higher degree.
Example:
Maria corre mais rapidamente do que Pedro.
(Maria runs faster than Pedro.)
Superiority, Inferiority, and Equality
In Portuguese, we can express superiority, inferiority, and equality in comparison sentences.
a. Superiority (maior or melhor)
When something is “greater” or “better” than another, we use the word “maior” (for size or quantity) or “melhor” (for quality).
Example:
O apartamento é maior do que a casa.
(The apartment is bigger than the house.)
O vinho é melhor do que a cerveja.
(The wine is better than the beer.)
b. Inferiority (menor or pior)
To express that something is “lesser” or “worse” than another, we use “menor” (for size or quantity) or “pior” (for quality).
Example:
O cachorro é menor do que o gato.
(The dog is smaller than the cat.)
O tempo está pior hoje do que ontem.
(The weather is worse today than yesterday.)
c. Equality (tão…quanto)
To indicate that two things are “as…as” or “equally,” we use the structure “tão…quanto.”
Example:
João é tão alto quanto Pedro.(João is as tall as Pedro.)
Eu estudei tanto quanto você.(I studied as much as you.)
Irregular Comparisons
In addition to the regular comparative forms mentioned earlier, there are some irregular adjectives and adverbs that have their own comparative forms.
Example:
bom (good) – melhor (better)
mau (bad) – pior (worse)
grande (big) – maior (bigger)
pequeno (small) – menor (smaller)
Example:
bem (well) – melhor (better)
mal (badly) – pior (worse)
Using “do que” and “como”
To link the compared elements in a sentence, we use the preposition “do que” (than) or the conjunction “como” (as).
Example:
Eu sou mais alto do que ele.(I am taller than him.)
Ela é tão inteligente como o irmão.(She is as intelligent as her brother.)
Superlative Sentences
Superlative sentences are used to express the highest or lowest degree of a quality among a group of people or things. In Portuguese, superlatives are formed by adding specific endings to adjectives or using adverbs.
Example:
O carro mais bonito de todos é o meu.(The most beautiful car of all is mine.)
Ela fala mais claramente de todos.(She speaks most clearly of all.)
Conclusion
In this guide, we have provided a brief and accurate introduction to Portuguese comparison sentences. We explored the use of comparative adjectives and adverbs, and how to express superiority, inferiority, and equality. Additionally, we discussed irregular comparisons and the use of “do que” and “como” to link compared elements. Finally, we touched on superlative sentences to express the highest or lowest degree. By understanding these concepts and practicing with examples, you can begin to effectively express comparisons in Portuguese and enhance your language skills.
Quick quiz
Exercise 1:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
Maria é alta João.
a) mais / do que
b) menos / que
c) tão / quanto
Answer: a) mais / do que
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the height of Maria and João. Since we want to say that Maria is taller than João, we use the comparative form “mais alta” (more tall) and the preposition “do que” (than). Therefore, the correct answer is a) mais / do que.
Example sentence: Maria é mais alta do que João. (Maria is taller than João.)
Exercise 2:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
O carro novo é __ do que o carro antigo.
a) melhor
b) pior
c) maior
Answer: c) maior
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the size or quantity of the new car and the old car. Since we want to say that the new car is bigger than the old car, we use the comparative form “maior” (bigger). Therefore, the correct answer is c) maior.
Example sentence: O carro novo é maior do que o carro antigo. (The new car is bigger than the old car.)
Exercise 3:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
A casa é __ do que o apartamento.
a) menor
b) melhor
c) pior
Answer: a) menor
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the size or quantity of the house and the apartment. Since we want to say that the house is smaller than the apartment, we use the comparative form “menor” (smaller). Therefore, the correct answer is a) menor.
Example sentence: A casa é menor do que o apartamento. (The house is smaller than the apartment.)
Exercise 4:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
Ele fala __ do que eu.
a) mais alto
b) mais claro
c) mais rapidamente
Answer: b) mais claro
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the clarity of the speech between “ele” (he) and “eu” (I). Since we want to say that he speaks more clearly than I do, we use the comparative form “mais claro” (more clear). Therefore, the correct answer is b) mais claro.
Example sentence: Ele fala mais claro do que eu. (He speaks more clearly than I do.)
Exercise 5:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
Ela estuda __ quanto eu.
a) mais
b) melhor
c) pior
Answer: a) mais
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the amount of studying between “ela” (she) and “eu” (I). Since we want to say that she studies more than I do, we use the adverb “mais” (more). Therefore, the correct answer is a) mais.
Example sentence: Ela estuda mais quanto eu. (She studies more than I do.)
Exercise 6:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
Ele é alto Pedro.
a) mais / do que
b) menos / que
c) tão / quanto
Answer: a) mais / do que
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the height of “ele” (he) and Pedro. Since we want to say that he is taller than Pedro, we use the comparative form “mais alto” (taller) and the preposition “do que” (than). Therefore, the correct answer is a) mais / do que.
Example sentence: Ele é mais alto do que Pedro. (He is taller than Pedro.)
Exercise 7:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
O cachorro é __ do que o gato.
a) melhor
b) pior
c) menor
Answer: c) menor
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the size or quantity of the dog and the cat. Since we want to say that the dog is smaller than the cat, we use the comparative form “menor” (smaller). Therefore, the correct answer is c) menor.
Example sentence: O cachorro é menor do que o gato. (The dog is smaller than the cat.)
Exercise 8:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
O tempo está hoje ontem.
a) melhor / do que
b) pior / do que
c) mais / do que
Answer: b) pior / do que
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the weather today and yesterday. Since we want to say that the weather is worse today than yesterday, we use the comparative form “pior” (worse) and the preposition “do que” (than). Therefore, the correct answer is b) pior / do que.
Example sentence: O tempo está pior hoje do que ontem. (The weather is worse today than yesterday.)
Exercise 9:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
Ela é inteligente irmão.
a) mais / do que
b) menos / que
c) tão / quanto
Answer: c) tão / quanto
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the intelligence of “ela” (she) and her brother. Since we want to say that she is as intelligent as her brother, we use the structure “tão…quanto” (as…as). Therefore, the correct answer is c) tão / quanto.
Example sentence: Ela é tão inteligente quanto o irmão. (She is as intelligent as her brother.)
Exercise 10:
Choose the correct form to complete the comparison sentence:
A cidade tem praias montanhas.
a) mais / do que
b) menos / que
c) tão / quanto
Answer: a) mais / do que
Explanation: In this sentence, we are comparing the number of beaches and mountains in the city. Since we want to say that the city has more beaches than mountains, we use the comparative form “mais” (more) and the preposition “do que” (than). Therefore, the correct answer is a) mais / do que.
Example sentence: A cidade tem mais praias do que montanhas. (The city has more beaches than mountains.)
Explanation of the Answers:
The correct answer is a) mais / do que because we use the comparative form “mais” (more) and the preposition “do que” (than) to compare the height of two people.
The correct answer is c) maior because we want to express that the new car is bigger than the old car.
The correct answer is a) menor because we want to say that the house is smaller than the apartment.
The correct answer is b) mais claro because we want to compare the clarity of speech.
The correct answer is a) mais because we want to compare the amount of studying.
The correct answer is a) mais / do que because we use the comparative form “mais” (more) and the preposition “do que” (than) to compare the height of two people.
The correct answer is c) menor because we want to say that the dog is smaller than the cat.
The correct answer is b) pior / do que because we want to express that the weather is worse today than yesterday.
The correct answer is c) tão / quanto because we want to say that she is as intelligent as her brother.
The correct answer is a) mais / do que because we use the comparative form “mais” (more) and the preposition “do que” (than) to compare the number of beaches and mountains in the city.
By explaining the answers and providing example sentences, learners can understand the correct usage of comparative forms and prepositions/conjunctions in Portuguese comparison sentences. This helps reinforce the grammatical rules and enables learners to apply them in their own language practice.
Originally posted 2023-07-19 03:58:13.