Mieux et le mieux : comparative and superlative adverbs | French

Starter quiz

Choose the word that translates 'happier' in the following sentence: The girls are happier than the boys.

plus contente

plus contents

plus contentes ✓

plus content
Translate the sentence: I find biology very easy.

1

⇔

je

2

⇔

trouve

3

⇔

la

4

⇔

biologie

5

⇔

très

6

⇔

facile
Complete the sentence: The comparative structures are 'plus, ______, aussi + adjective + que/qu''.

'moins' ✓
Match the English and French vocabulary together.

excellent

⇔

excellent ✓

fort

⇔

strong ✓

moyen

⇔

average ✓

faible

⇔

weak ✓

nul

⇔

rubbish ✓
Tick the sentences in which 'better' is a comparative adverb.

J'écris mieux en physique qu'en histoire. ✓

Je pense que l'espagnol est meilleur que l'art.

Elle répond mieux quand elle a du temps pour penser. ✓

Nous trouvons que la prof de français est meilleure cette année.

Tu dis que la pause déjeuner est meilleure que les cours !
Match the French to the English.

naissance

⇔

birth ✓

tragédie

⇔

tragedy ✓

quatrième

⇔

fourth ✓

détruire

⇔

to destroy ✓

aîné

⇔

older, oldest ✓

vif

⇔

lively ✓

Exit quiz

Tick the words related to people's talents.

doué, douée ✓

un don ✓

bavard

talentueux, talentueuse ✓

désormais
Describing an action as 'the most' or 'the least' (le plus/le moins + adverb) is an example of which linguistic feature?

the demonstrative

the comparative

the superlative ✓

the negative
Where does the superlative adverb go in relation to the verb it describes?

'after' ✓
Translate the sentence: Amir plays the piano the best.

1

⇔

Amir

2

⇔

joue

3

⇔

du

4

⇔

piano

5

⇔

le

6

⇔

mieux
Tick the examples of a superlative adverb in a sentence.

Elle écrit mieux que moi.

Elle écrit le mieux. ✓

Elle écrit le moins bien dans la classe. ✓

Elle écrit plus mal que les autres.
Match the French and English vocabulary.

aidant

⇔

carer ✓

couple

⇔

couple, pair ✓

tante

⇔

aunt ✓

eux-mêmes

⇔

themselves (m, mixed gender) ✓

décrit

⇔

described ✓

oeuvre

⇔

work, task ✓

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

To describe an action as the best, the most or the least, we use superlatives: le + plus/moins + adverb.
The superlative adverb goes directly after the verb: il parle le plus lentement.
Irregular superlative form 'le mieux' is used for 'the best' when describing a verb.
Two superlative forms 'le plus mal' and 'le moins bien' are used for 'the worst' when describing a verb.

Common misconception

'Mieux' and 'plus mal/moins bien' can be used interchangeably with 'le mieux' and 'le plus mal' or ''le moins bien'.

'Le mieux' and 'le plus mal'/'le moins bien' are superlative adverbs to describe actions as '(the) best' or '(the) worst'. 'Mieux' and 'moins bien'/'plus mal' describe actions as 'better' or 'less well'/'worse' and are comparative adverbs.

Keywords

Superlative adverb - a form of adverb to describe the highest degree of a quality e.g. the fastest
Le mieux - the superlative adverb form of 'bien' meaning ‘the best’
Le plus mal / le moins bien - the superlative adverb forms of ‘mal’ meaning ‘the worst’