mai ... que

More than

Level 2

Mai ... que compares two things: more than.

How It Works

English adds -er (taller) or more. Occitan always uses mai, and que means than.

OccitanEnglish
Joan es mai grand que Pèire.Joan is taller than Pèire.
Maria es mai granda que Joan.Maria is taller than Joan.
Joan ven mai sovent que Maria.Joan comes more often than Maria.

The adjective takes the gender and number of the subject: Maria es mai granda, even though Joan comes after que. The same frame works with adverbs such as sovent. Use que after mai, not coma, which is for equal things. Do not use the French plus. For an amount of something, use mai de.

Examples (4)

  1. Joan es mai grand que Pèire.

    Joan is taller than Pèire.

    Que introduces the person you compare with.

  2. Aquesta taula es mai granda que l'autra.

    This table is bigger than the other one.

    Granda agrees with the feminine noun taula.

  3. Joan ven mai sovent que Maria.

    Joan comes more often than Maria.

    Mai can compare an adverb.

  4. Maria es mai granda que Joan.

    Maria is taller than Joan.

    The adjective follows the subject.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the French word.

    Joan es plus grand que Pèire.
    Joan es mai grand que Pèire.

    Occitan says mai. Plus is French.

  • Using coma for than.

    Joan es mai grand coma Pèire.
    Joan es mai grand que Pèire.

    After mai, the word for than is que. Coma goes with equality.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

mai ... queLevel 2More than

Learn This First

Comparing with mai ... que uses adjectives, so the feminine of adjectives comes first.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

maique