In this article we’ll cover the comparative degree. We will focus on examples and dialogues to show how it works in a daily life situation. Also, we will talk about the verb Haver and how to express necessity and obligation in Portuguese.
Degrees of comparative
The comparative is used to compare two or more things and can refer to concrete things such as objects, people, etc. or abstract things such as facts. There are three degrees of comparative: comparative of superiority, inferiority and equality. Let’s look at each one:
– The comparative of superiority is formed with the adverb mais before the adjective and do que after the adjective: “MAIS + ADJECTIVE + DO QUE” (More + adjective + than).
A Joana é mais alta do que a Maria. (Joana is taller than Maria.)
– The comparative of inferiority is formed with the adverb menos before the adjective and do que after the adjective: “MAIS + ADJECTIVE + DO QUE” (Less + adjetive + than).
A Maria é menos alta do que a Joana. (Maria is less tall than Joana).
– The comparative of equality is formed with the adverb Tão before the adjective and como after the adjective: “TÃO + ADJECTIVE + COMO” (As + adjective + as)
A Sofia é tão alta como a Júlia. (Sofia is as tall as Júlia).
NB: We have to match the gender and number of the adjective to the noun it refers to.
There are synthetic forms for the comparative degree for the adjectives “bom/ boa” (good) , “mau/má” (bad), “grande” (big) and “pequeno/a” (small), which are represented by “melhor” (better), “pior” (worse), “maior” (bigger) and “menor” (smaller) and the plural forms: “melhores”, “piores”, “maiores” and “menores”.
The use of synthetic forms is mandatory except for the form “menor” for which the use of the form “mais pequeno” is accepted.
Let’s see some examples:
- Este restaurante é melhor do que aquele. (This restaurant is better than that one).
- Este vinho é pior do que aquele. (This wine is worse than that one).
- Estes melões são maiores do que aqueles. (These melons are bigger than those).
Dialogue 1
| Ao telefone (on the phone) | |
|---|---|
| PT | Olá João, queres jantar fora logo à noite? |
| EN | Hi João, do you want to going out for dinner this evening? |
| PT | Olá Rui. Sim, claro! Vamos ao Furnas? Perto do mercado? |
| EN | Hi Rui. Yes, sure! Let’s go to o Furnas? Next to the market? |
| PT | Eu acho que o Pote é melhor do que o Furnas. Os pratos são mais variados e o espaço é mais acolhedor. |
| EN | I think that o Pote is better than o Furnas. The dishes are more varied and the space is more cozy. |
| PT | Tens razão mas o Pote é mais caro do que o Furnas e estou com pouco de dinheiro agora. |
| EN | You’re right but o Pote is more expensive than o Furnas e I don’t have a lot of money at the moment. |
| PT | Olha, também podemos ir àquele novo restaurante perto do museu. Dizem que tem pratos tão bons como o Pote mas mais baratos! |
| EN | Well, we can go to that new restaurant next to the museum. The people say that it has dishes as good as o Pote but cheaper! |
| PT | Boa ideia! Ainda não conheço esse. |
| EN | Good idea! I don’t know this one yet. |
Superlative
The superlative is used when we want to say that something is at the highest limit of quality, that is, it is as superior as possible.
In this case we use the following structure:
ARTICLE + MAIS + ADJETIVE
Check the examples:
- Este restaurante é o mais caro da cidade. (This restaurant is the most expensive in the city.)
- Este é o livro mais interessante que li. (This is the most interesting book I have read.)
- A Rússia é o maior país do mundo. (Russia is the largest country in the world.)
The verb HAVER
The verb haver is a very particular verb in Portuguese and has several uses and meanings. One of them is when it means “to exist”.
In this case, it is used in the impersonal form and always in the third person singular “há” and it means “there is” or “there are”.
Dialogue 2
| No restaurante (at the restaurant) | |
|---|---|
| PT | Empregado: Boa noite! Aqui tem a ementa. Hoje, como prato do dia, há salmão grelhado. |
| EN | Waiter: Good evening! Here’s the menu. Today, for the dish of the day, there is grilled salmon. |
| PT | João: Obrigado. Acho que vou comer salmão. Qual é o acompanhamento? |
| EN | João: Thank you. I think I’ll have the salmon. What’s the side dish? |
| PT | Empregado: batatas assadas ou arroz e salada. Não! Desculpe, já não há arroz. |
| EN | Waiter: baked potatoes or rice and salad. No! Sorry, there is no rice anymore. |
| PT | João: Pode ser para mim. E tu, Rui? |
| EN | João: It can be for me. What about you, Rui? |
| PT | Rui: Eu acho que prefiro carne. O que é que há? |
| EN | Rui: I think I prefer meat. What there is? |
| PT | Empregado: Há entrecosto no forno que é a especialidade da casa. |
| EN | Waiter: There are ribs in the oven, which is the house specialty. |
| PT | Rui: Então, pode ser. |
| EN | Rui: It can be for me. |
| PT | Empregado: E para beber? |
| EN | Waiter: And for drink? |
| PT | João: O vinho da casa, faz favor. |
| EN | João: The house wine, please. |
| PT | Empregado: Os senhores querem sobremesa? Há mousse de chocolate e bolo de bolacha. |
| EN | Waiter: Would you like some dessert? There’s chocolate mousse and cookie cake. |
| PT | Rui: Não, obrigado. São só dois cafés e a conta. |
| EN | Rui: No, thank you. Just two coffees and the bill. |
| PT | Empregado: Com certeza. |
| EN | Waiter: Of course. |
Conclusion
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