French comparatives use plus, moins and aussi to compare qualities or actions; superlatives use le, la or les plus or moins to express the most or least.
What is French 2?
French 2 usually builds on introductory French. Comparisons are useful at this stage because they help you describe differences rather than simply name things.
With an adjective, put plus, moins or aussi before the adjective and que before what you are comparing it with. The adjective agrees with the person or thing it describes.
- Cette maison est plus grande que l’appartement. — This house is bigger than the apartment.
- Ce café est moins cher que le restaurant. — This café is less expensive than the restaurant.
- Marie est aussi patiente que Paul. — Marie is as patient as Paul.
Before a vowel or silent h, que becomes qu’: Ce train est plus rapide qu’un bus — this train is faster than a bus. For more words to use in your own comparisons, review basic French vocabulary.
What does intermediate French look like?
Comparisons also describe actions and quantities. With an adverb, use the same plus, moins or aussi pattern as with an adjective: Elle parle plus lentement que moi means “She speaks more slowly than I do.”
With a noun, use plus de, moins de or autant de. For example, Il a autant de livres que moi means “He has as many books as I do.” Use autant de, not aussi de, for equal quantities.
To compare the amount of an action, put plus, moins or autant after the verb: Elle travaille autant que lui means “She works as much as he does.”
What is intermediate French?
At an intermediate level, learners can begin to express more precise ideas, including which item stands out within a group. That is what a superlative does.
- Marie est la plus grande de la classe. — Marie is the tallest in the class.
- Ce sont les meilleures pommes. — These are the best apples.
- C’est le film le plus intéressant. — It is the most interesting film.
- C’est la solution la moins chère. — It is the least expensive solution.
With adjectives, the article and adjective reflect the noun’s gender and number. When an adjective follows its noun, the article is repeated before plus or moins, as in le film le plus intéressant.
With an adverb, use le plus or le moins: Elle court le plus vite means “She runs the fastest.” Here le does not change to agree with the subject.
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Comparisons can take practice because a few common words have irregular forms. Use meilleur as the comparative of bon when describing a noun, and use mieux as the comparative of bien when describing how an action is done.
- Ce gâteau est meilleur que l’autre. — This cake is better than the other one.
- Ces pommes sont meilleures. — These apples are better.
- Elle cuisine mieux que moi. — She cooks better than I do.
Meilleur changes to agree with the noun: meilleur, meilleure, meilleurs, meilleures. Mieux does not change. Their superlatives include le meilleur gâteau — the best cake — and elle cuisine le mieux — she cooks the best.
Pronunciation matters too. In plus grand, the final s of plus is silent; in plus intéressant, it links to the vowel with a /z/ sound. When plus stands at the end of a phrase meaning “more,” as in elle travaille plus, the s is pronounced.
What does intermediate French mean?
Intermediate French means using familiar grammar and vocabulary to communicate more connected ideas. Try these short comparisons, then check your answers.
- “The house is as big as the apartment.” Use grande.
- “I have more books than you.” Use livres.
- “This restaurant is the best.” Use restaurant and meilleur.
Answers: 1. La maison est aussi grande que l’appartement. 2. J’ai plus de livres que toi. 3. Ce restaurant est le meilleur.
For more ways to put comparisons into everyday speech, see these common French conversation phrases.
What does French 2 cover?
UPI Study’s French 2 course covers comparisons in its food and dining chapter, alongside vocabulary and other grammar. The syllabus below shows how that topic fits into the course.
| # | Chapter | Lessons | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | En vacances: Travel, Transportation & the Passé Composé | Travel & Vacation Vocabulary — countries, nationalities, modes of transport, vacation activities, seasons and weather expressions; The Passé Composé with avoir — formation, regular past participles, common irregular participles, agreement, and negation in the past; The Passé Composé with être — the être verbs (DR & MRS VANDERTRAMP), past-participle agreement with the subject; Direct Object Pronouns — le, la, les, me, te, nous, vous; placement in present and past; agreement in the passé composé | 11 |
| 2 | Chez nous: The Home, the Imparfait & Describing the Past | House & Home Vocabulary — rooms, furniture, appliances, and parts of a dwelling; describing where one lives; Household Chores — vocabulary for tasks and frequency; expressing obligation and routine; Adverbs — formation of -ment adverbs; adverbs of frequency, time, and manner; placement rules; The Imparfait — formation from the nous stem; uses for description, habitual action, and ongoing past states | 11 |
| 3 | La nourriture: Food, Dining & Comparison | Food & Meals Vocabulary — foods, beverages, courses, quantities, and the partitive article in context; Grocery Shopping & the Restaurant — shops, vendors, ordering, and table vocabulary; The Verb venir & the Passé Récent — venir de + infinitive to express the recent past; Devoir, Vouloir, Pouvoir — obligation, desire, and ability; polite usage and nuance | 10 |
| 4 | La santé: Daily Routine, Reflexives & Wellbeing | Daily Routine Vocabulary — reflexive activities of the morning and evening; telling time in routine contexts; The Body, Health & Remedies — body parts, symptoms, ailments, and at the doctor/pharmacy; Reflexive Verbs (Present) — pronominal verb formation; reflexive pronoun placement; common reflexive verbs; Idiomatic Reflexives — verbs whose meaning shifts in the pronominal form (s'entendre, se rendre compte, etc.) | 10 |
| 5 | La technologie: Technology, Transport & the Conditional | Technology & Electronics Vocabulary — devices, media, and digital actions; using and troubleshooting technology; The Car & Driving — vehicle vocabulary, road signs, and explaining car trouble; Prepositions with the Infinitive — verbs followed by à, de, or no preposition before an infinitive; Reciprocal Reflexives — expressing mutual actions (se parler, se retrouver, s'aimer) | 9 |
| 6 | En ville: City Life, the Future & Relative Pronouns | City & Errands Vocabulary — shops, services, public buildings, and running errands; Directions & Location — asking for and giving directions; prepositions of place; The Verbs voir, recevoir & apercevoir — present and past forms and usage; Negative & Affirmative Expressions — ne … rien, ne … personne, ne … jamais, ne … plus, and their affirmative counterparts | 9 |
| ASSIGNMENT | 5 | ||
| FINAL EXAM | 6 |
Which colleges list French 2 on an equivalency chart?
These colleges show French 2 (French 102) on their equivalency charts with UPI Study. Open a college for its full chart.
| College | Equivalent course | Credits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSU | Open Electives | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Crestpoint | General Elective (Crestpoint) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Dunlap-Stone | General Education Humanities | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Gracelyn | General education: Broad Knowledge and Intellectual Skills (Humanities) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Indiana Tech | General Elective (Indiana Tech) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Maestro | UPI Recommended | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Newlane | Arts & Humanities GE | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
| Nexford | Humanities and Fine Arts Elective (Gen Ed) | 3 | Recommended by UPI Study — the college confirms on evaluation |
See the rest of the equivalency on the French 2 course page, or open a college above for its full chart. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Frequently Asked Questions about French Grammar
French 2 is generally a course that builds on introductory French. Its exact topics and level depend on the course.
French 102 often refers to a second introductory French course, but course numbering varies by institution. Check the syllabus to see what knowledge the course expects.
Intermediate French is the ability to communicate beyond basic words and set phrases on familiar topics. Learners at this stage can generally describe experiences and connect ideas, though their skills vary.
French 2 can be challenging if introductory vocabulary or verb forms still feel unfamiliar. Reviewing those basics and practicing new structures in sentences can help.
Yes, B1 is an intermediate level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR. At B1, learners can generally handle familiar situations and produce connected text on familiar topics.
Yes, B2 is commonly described as upper intermediate on the CEFR scale. It includes greater ability to discuss complex topics and interact with fluency than B1.
A2 is usually classified as elementary, rather than intermediate, on the CEFR scale. It covers routine exchanges and simple descriptions on familiar subjects.
Final Thoughts on French Grammar
Start with three sentences about things you know: one with plus, one with moins and one with aussi. Then change one into a superlative and check whether the adjective agrees with the noun.
The way this actually clicks
Skip step 3 and the whole thing is wasted.
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