How do you use the word "less"?

[Serzige]

Hey Folks...How are you doing today?

Well, I was preparing an english class last week about comparatives adjectives and a question came to me. The book I took the information from said:

"LESS is the opposite of MORE"

So, as everybody knows, you have to add "er" when one-syllable adjective comes up(same as two-syllables adj.). Thus far, you could say "this car is nicer than that", and it means you think that one of those cars is great and the other one isn't. But I wonder, what'd happen if I wanted to express the same idea but the other way around? I think it would go like this, "that car is less nice than this", right? However, I am not sure 'cause I dont' know if the previous "er" rule would work with "less". I mean, could I say "That car is niceless than this"? That comparison would be ok?...Lastly, the word less works for one-syllables and two-syllables adjectives, Right? or how does it work?

Please guys help me out with this...!
_________________
Sergio M.
"Life is too short to grieve in sorrow"

[Aydincelenk]

Hi Sergize,
I think you are a bit confused. Just look at the following;
many-more-the most
little-less-the least

As you can see above "more" is not a word which can be used as suffix to adjectives. The same can be said for "less". It is not a suffix we use to add adjectives. It is an adjective in the comparative form itself.
So, your sentence "That car is niceless than this" is impossible from this point of wiev.
I hope that will be helpful.
Love

[Serzige]

Thanks for your help, but I am still worried if the word less can be used with one or two-syllables adjectives...hhmmm??
_________________
Sergio M.
"Life is too short to grieve in sorrow"

[Yankee]

You're comparing apples with oranges, Serzige.

The word 'less' and the suffix '-less' are two completely different things.

When you add "-less" to the end of a word, it means "without" or "lacking" or "free of". It is not a comparative form of the word.

- lifeless (without life)
- aimless (lacking an aim)
- beardless (no beard)
- affectionless (without affection)
- hopeless (without hope)

You will probably find this suffix most often added to one- and two-syllable words, but it can be added to words with any number of syllables.
.

[Serzige]

Ok! That's great and... I'm thankful for that. Anyway, Can I use the world less in this way: "This car is less nice than that". I mean I don't have to take into account the amount of syllables to use it, right? Thus, can I use "less" with any adjective I want?

See you around...
_________________
Sergio M.
"Life is too short to grieve in sorrow"

[Yankee]

.
You could say that, but it would be more natural and typical to say "This car is not as nice as that."

These are better examples for 'less':

This book is less interesting than that book.
This car is less expensive than that car.

My feeling is that with short adjectives, we would tend to use "not as ... as" rather than "less ... than", but with adjectives of three syllables or more you can use either "less ... than" or "not as ... as".
.