de plus en plus / de moins en moins
Increasingly / Decreasingly
French uses the fixed phrases de plus en plus (increasingly) and de moins en moins (decreasingly) to describe a continuous evolution or process over time.
How It Works
These expressions are the standard way to say 'more and more' or 'less and less' in French. They function as comparative adverbs of progression.
1. Usage with different parts of speech:
- Adjectives: Il devient de plus en plus grand. (He is becoming taller and taller.)
- Adverbs: Elle court de moins en moins vite. (She runs less and less fast.)
- Verbs: Tu travailles de plus en plus. (You are working more and more.)
- Nouns: You must add an extra de before the noun: Il y a de plus en plus de voitures. (There are more and more cars.)
2. Pronunciation Rules:
- Liaison: In both phrases, the 's' in the first plus or the 'ns' in moins makes a [z] sound with the following word en (plu-zen / moin-zen).
- Final 's': In de plus en plus, the final 's' is silent before a consonant (plus fort), pronounced [z] before a vowel (plus aimable), and pronounced [s] if it ends the sentence (J'en veux de plus en plus.).
3. Register:
These are standard expressions used in both casual conversation and formal writing. They are much more common than the English word 'increasingly'.
Examples (5)
- Les billets d'avion coûtent de plus en plus cher.
Plane tickets are becoming more and more expensive.
Word by Word: The tickets of plane cost of more in more expensive.
Here, the expression modifies the adjective 'cher' to show a rising price trend.
- Il y a de moins en moins de neige en hiver.
There is less and less snow in winter.
Word by Word: It there has of less in less of snow in winter.
When used with a noun like 'neige', you must include the partitive 'de' after the expression.
- Depuis son accident, il sort de moins en moins.
Since his accident, he goes out less and less.
Word by Word: Since his accident, he goes out of less in less.
The expression follows the verb 'sort' to show a decrease in frequency.
- Elle parle de plus en plus couramment.
She speaks more and more fluently.
Word by Word: She speaks of more in more fluently.
The expression modifies the adverb 'couramment' to show progress in language ability.
- De plus en plus de gens utilisent le vélo.
More and more people are using bicycles.
Word by Word: Of more in more of people use the bicycle.
The expression can start a sentence when it is part of the subject noun phrase.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting the 'de' before a noun.
Il y a de plus en plus problèmes.Il y a de plus en plus de problèmes.Just like plus de, the progressive form requires 'de' before a noun.
Confusing 'de plus en plus' with 'de plus'.
Different MeaningDe plus, il fait froid.De plus en plus, il fait froid.'De plus, il fait froid' is correct French, but it means 'Besides, it is cold.' De plus means 'furthermore'. To say 'more and more', use the full phrase 'de plus en plus'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'de plus en plus' and 'de moins en moins', learners must first be familiar with the basic comparative markers 'plus' (more) and 'moins' (less). Understanding the preposition 'de' is also necessary as it forms the structural frame of these idiomatic expressions.
- moins...queComparative of Inferiority
The expression 'de moins en moins' is built using the comparative marker 'moins' to indicate a decreasing degree.
Level 1 - de (provenance / appartenance)Origin, Possession with De
The pattern uses the preposition 'de' as a structural component to link the comparative adverbs.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- plus...queComparative of Superiority
The basic comparative form used to compare two specific things rather than a progression over time.
Level 1 - plus de / moins de / autant de + NounComparing Quantities of Nouns
The foundation for comparing quantities of nouns, which shares the requirement for the preposition 'de'.
Level 2 - plus...plusThe More...the More with Plus...plus
Used for 'The more... the more' constructions, which also deal with proportional progression.
Level 4 - Linking a silent consonant to the next vowel
Explains why the 's' in 'plus' is pronounced as a [z] when followed by 'en'.
Level 1 - de plusFurthermore with De Plus
A connector meaning 'furthermore' that is often confused with the progressive 'de plus en plus'.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice de plus en plus / de moins en moins in Bubblegum
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