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====== Comparisons ======

===== mas, ol mas =====

To express that something has a certain property to a higher degree than something else, place the quantifier **mas** 'more' before an adjective or adverb. The compared entity is introduced using the preposition **cem** 'than, as'.

**Ya (xi) mas kavi cem (yas) makika.** – She is stronger than her brother.\\
**Bal makika lari mas ku sari cem ya.** – But the brother runs faster than she.

Determiners such as **mas** are placed before the adverb marker **ku** (just as they are placed before verb markers).

**Mas** can also be used before nouns:

**Mas jen li lai cem nas (li) [expect].** – More people came than we had expected.

To express the superlative – a higher degree than everything else – **ol mas** 'most' is used. This can be considered an abbreviation of **mas ... cem ol otra** 'more than all others'.

**Ya (xi) ol mas kavi.** – She is the strongest.

===== men, ol men =====

The opposite of **mas** is **men** 'less, fewer'.

**Ya (xi) men daki cem (yas) nuespos.** – He's less intelligent than his wife.\\
**Men jen li lai cem nas (li) [expect].** – Fewer people came than we had expected.

**Ol men** 'least' is used in the same way as **ol mas**.

XXX Add example, including the selection preposition (**de** 'of'?).

===== tan =====

For expressions of equality, **tan ... cem** 'as ... as' is used:

**Ya (xi) tan gau cem (yas) makika.** – She's as tall as her brother.\\
**Ya lari pia tan ku sari cem makika.** – She also runs as fast as her brother.

As usual, **tan** can also be used before nouns:

**Tan jen li lai cem nas (li) [expect].** – As many people came as we had expected.

===== mas ... mas, men ... men =====

If you want to express that two things change in correlation to each other, you repeat **mas** before each of them.

**Mas garam, mas hau.** – The hotter, the better.\\
**Mas malo jen ga miru si, mas hau.** – The fewer people will see this, the better.

Either or both instances of **mas** can be replaced by **men** as appropriate.

**Men [money], men [problem/trouble].** – Less money, fewer problems.