French - Comparisons

Lesson 43 of 159

A learner comparing two options in French, practicing B1 comparison phrases.

Goal: Talk about differences, preferences and what matters most

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! In this short lesson we'll focus on natural French phrases to compare things and explain choices. Have fun — listen, repeat, then try them out in your own answers.

Level B1: In lesson 43 you will practice common comparison phrases like «___ n'est pas aussi ___ que ___», «Lequel est le plus ___ ?», and «Je préfère ___ à ___ parce que ___». This CEFR-aligned lesson helps you explain differences, balance pros and cons, and say what you prefer.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Use B1 comparison structures to say how two things differ or resemble each other.
  • Ask and answer simple comparative questions (e.g., Lequel est le plus ___ ?).
  • Express preferences and reasons using Je préfère ___ à ___ parce que ___.
Two friends discuss pros and cons in French, using comparative phrases and preferences.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

___ n'est pas aussi ___ que ___.

___ is not as ___ as ___.

Meaning: ___ is not as ___ as ___.

When to use: Say this when one thing does not reach the same level as another (quality, size, price, etc.).

Tip: Remember to agree the adjective with the subject (e.g., 'aussi rapide' vs 'aussi rapideS').

Ce café n'est pas aussi fort que l'autre.
This coffee isn't as strong as the other.
Sa voiture n'est pas aussi rapide que la mienne.
His car isn't as fast as mine.

___ est presque aussi ___ que ___.

___ is almost as ___ as ___.

Meaning: ___ is almost as ___ as ___.

When to use: Use this to say two things are very similar but not exactly equal.

La nouvelle version est presque aussi bonne que l'ancienne.
The new version is almost as good as the old one.
Cette robe est presque aussi chère que la robe rouge.
This dress is almost as expensive as the red dress.

La principale différence, c'est ___.

The main difference is ___.

Meaning: The main difference is ___.

When to use: Point out the most important difference between two things or options.

La principale différence, c'est le prix.
The main difference is the price.
La principale différence, c'est la qualité des matériaux.
The main difference is the quality of the materials.

___ et ___ sont ___.

Both ___ and ___ are ___.

Meaning: Both ___ and ___ are ___.

When to use: Say that two things share the same quality or characteristic.

Le train et le bus sont pratiques.
Both the train and the bus are convenient.
La salade et la soupe sont légères.
Both the salad and the soup are light.

Ça dépend de ce dont tu as besoin.

It depends on what you need.

Meaning: It depends on what you need.

When to use: Use this when the best choice varies by a person's needs or priorities.

Tip: In formal contexts use 'cela dépend de ce dont vous avez besoin.'

Si tu veux voyager vite, ça dépend de ce dont tu as besoin.
If you want to travel fast, it depends on what you need.
Pour étudier, ça dépend de ce dont tu as besoin : temps ou budget ?
To study, it depends on what you need: time or budget?

Lequel est le plus ___ ?

Which one is more ___?

Meaning: Which one is more ___?

When to use: Ask this to request a clear comparison of a specific quality among options.

Lequel est le plus confortable ?
Which one is the most comfortable?
Lequel est le plus rapide pour arriver au centre ?
Which one is the fastest to get to the center?

Il n'y a pas beaucoup de différence entre ___ et ___.

There isn't much difference between ___ and ___.

Meaning: There isn't much difference between ___ and ___.

When to use: Use this when two options are only slightly different.

Tip: In casual speech you may hear 'Y a pas beaucoup de différence' — avoid that in formal writing.

Il n'y a pas beaucoup de différence entre ces deux téléphones.
There isn't much difference between these two phones.
Il n'y a pas beaucoup de différence entre le thé et le café ici.
There's not much difference between the tea and the coffee here.

___ et ___ ont beaucoup de points communs.

___ and ___ have a lot in common.

Meaning: ___ and ___ have a lot in common.

When to use: Say that two people, places, or things share many similarities.

La France et l'Italie ont beaucoup de points communs.
France and Italy have a lot in common.
Le jazz et le blues ont beaucoup de points communs.
Jazz and blues have a lot in common.

___ prend plus de temps que ___.

___ takes longer than ___.

Meaning: ___ takes longer than ___.

When to use: Compare the time required for two activities, routes, or processes.

Prendre le bus prend plus de temps que prendre le train.
Taking the bus takes longer than taking the train.
La cuisson au four prend plus de temps que la cuisson à la poêle.
Baking in the oven takes longer than frying in a pan.

D'un côté, ___ ; de l'autre, ___.

On the one hand, ___; on the other hand, ___.

Meaning: On the one hand, ___; on the other hand, ___.

When to use: Balance two contrasting points when comparing pros and cons.

D'un côté, c'est moins cher ; de l'autre, c'est plus lent.
On the one hand it's cheaper; on the other hand it's slower.
D'un côté, il est pratique ; de l'autre, il est cher.
On one hand it's convenient; on the other, it's expensive.

Je préfère ___ à ___ parce que ___.

I prefer ___ to ___ because ___.

Meaning: I prefer ___ to ___ because ___.

When to use: State a clear preference and give a short reason.

Tip: Remember 'à' stays before the placeholder; with articles it becomes 'au' or 'aux' with masculine/plural nouns.

Je préfère le vélo à la voiture parce que c'est plus écologique.
I prefer the bike to the car because it's more ecological.
Je préfère le thé au café parce que j'aime le goût.
I prefer tea to coffee because I like the taste.

___ est plus facile à ___ que ___.

___ is easier to ___ than ___.

Meaning: ___ is easier to ___ than ___.

When to use: Compare two things by saying one is easier to do (learn, use, understand) than the other.

Ce logiciel est plus facile à utiliser que l'autre.
This software is easier to use than the other.
Lire ce texte est plus facile à comprendre que le précédent.
Reading this text is easier to understand than the previous one.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David decide which phone to buy, comparing speed, price and what matters most.

Anna and David compare travel and study options in French, showing how to express differences and choices.

What are Anna and David deciding between?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Lequel est le plus rapide ?

Which one is the fastest?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Le nouveau est presque aussi rapide que l'ancien, mais il est plus cher.

The new one is almost as fast as the old one, but it's more expensive.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Ça dépend de ce dont tu as besoin : vitesse ou budget ?

It depends on what you need: speed or budget?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Je préfère le nouveau à l'ancien parce que la batterie dure plus longtemps.

I prefer the new one to the old one because the battery lasts longer.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Il n'y a pas beaucoup de différence entre les deux pour l'appareil photo.

There isn't much difference between the two for the camera.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which French sentence means 'There isn't much difference between A and B'?

Which sentence asks 'Which one is more ___?'

Which choice means 'It depends on what you need.'?

Which sentence expresses a preference and a reason?

To choose between train and plane, Anna says: 'It depends on what you need.'

Pour choisir entre le train et l'avion, Anna dit : "___."

David compares two phones and says: 'This phone is not as expensive as the other.'

David compare deux téléphones et dit : "___."

Anna explains the time required: 'Preparing dish A takes more time than dish B.'

Anna explique le temps nécessaire : "___."

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ n'est pas aussi ___ que ___.

___ is not as ___ as ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ est presque aussi ___ que ___.

___ is almost as ___ as ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

La principale différence, c'est ___.

The main difference is ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ et ___ sont ___.

Both ___ and ___ are ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ça dépend de ce dont tu as besoin.

It depends on what you need.

Say this phrase out loud:

Lequel est le plus ___ ?

Which one is more ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Il n'y a pas beaucoup de différence entre ___ et ___.

There isn't much difference between ___ and ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ et ___ ont beaucoup de points communs.

___ and ___ have a lot in common.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ prend plus de temps que ___.

___ takes longer than ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

D'un côté, ___ ; de l'autre, ___.

On the one hand, ___; on the other hand, ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je préfère ___ à ___ parce que ___.

I prefer ___ to ___ because ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ est plus facile à ___ que ___.

___ is easier to ___ than ___.