plus de / moins de / autant de + Noun
Comparing Quantities of Nouns
To compare quantities of things (nouns), use: plus de (more), moins de (less/fewer), or autant de (as much/many). The word de never changes to 'des' or 'du' in this pattern.
How It Works
When you want to say you have more, less, or the same amount of something compared to someone else, French uses a specific set of quantitative markers:
- Plus de [noun] que...: More [noun] than...
- Moins de [noun] que...: Less/Fewer [noun] than...
- Autant de [noun] que...: As much/many [noun] as...
Key Rules:
1. The Invariable 'De': Even if the noun is plural, you must use de (or d'). Never use 'des', 'du', or 'de la'. For example: plus de livres (correct) vs. plus des livres (incorrect).
2. Pronunciation: In the phrase plus de, the 's' in plus is usually pronounced [plys]. This helps distinguish it from the negative ne... plus (no more), where the 's' is silent.
3. Autant vs. Aussi: Use autant de for nouns (quantities) and aussi for adjectives (qualities).
4. Repeating 'De': If you are comparing two different nouns for the same person, you must repeat the de after que. Example: J'ai plus de pommes que de poires.
Examples (5)
- Il y a plus de voitures dans cette rue qu'hier.
There are more cars in this street than yesterday.
Word by Word: It there has more of cars in this street than yesterday.
Note that 'plus de' is used even though 'voitures' is plural. The 's' in 'plus' is pronounced here.
- Elle a autant de patience que son frère.
She has as much patience as her brother.
Word by Word: She has as-much of patience than her brother.
'Autant de' is used for uncountable nouns like 'patience' just like it is for countable nouns.
- Nous avons moins d'espace dans ce nouvel appartement.
We have less space in this new apartment.
Word by Word: We have less of space in this new apartment.
'De' elides to 'd’' because 'espace' starts with a vowel.
- J'ai plus de pommes que de poires.
I have more apples than pears.
Word by Word: I have more of apples than of pears.
When comparing two nouns, the 'de' must be repeated after 'que'.
- Il boit moins de café que toi.
He drinks less coffee than you.
Word by Word: He drinks less of coffee than you.
A simple comparison of quantity using 'moins de'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'des' instead of 'de' for plural nouns.
J'ai plus des amis que toi.J'ai plus d'amis que toi.In quantitative comparisons, the 'de' is a fixed part of the expression and does not change to the plural 'des'.
Using 'aussi de' instead of 'autant de' for nouns.
Il a aussi de courage que son père.Il a autant de courage que son père.'Aussi' is only for adjectives and adverbs. For nouns, you must use 'autant de'.
Forgetting the 'de' entirely.
J'ai plus livres que lui.J'ai plus de livres que lui.You cannot attach 'plus' directly to a noun; the 'de' is mandatory to indicate quantity.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To compare quantities of nouns, you need to understand how the preposition 'de' functions as a quantity marker (similar to its use in 'combien de'). You also need to be familiar with the basic comparative adverbs 'plus' and 'moins' used in adjective comparisons.
- de (provenance / appartenance)Origin, Possession with De
The preposition 'de' is the core marker used in these comparative expressions to link the quantity to the noun.
Level 1 - combienHow Much/many with Combien
Understanding 'combien de' establishes the foundational structure of using 'de' to express quantity with nouns.
Level 1 - plus...queComparative of Superiority
The logic of using 'plus', 'moins', and 'aussi/autant' for comparisons is first introduced through adjectives before being applied to quantities.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- aussi...queComparative of Equality
Used to compare equality for adjectives; 'autant de' is its counterpart for nouns.
Level 1 - du (article partitif)Partitive Article Du
While partitive articles change based on gender/number, the 'de' in quantitative comparisons remains fixed.
Level 1 - pas deArticles Become De After Negation
Similar to comparisons, negation also forces the article to become a fixed 'de'.
Level 1 - Dropping a vowel before another vowel
Explains why 'de' becomes 'd’' before words starting with a vowel.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice plus de / moins de / autant de + Noun in Bubblegum
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