De plus en plus / De moins en moins + [adverbe/adjectif/verbe] = more and more / less and less + [adverb/adjective/verb] (Comparisons in French)

In French, to express "more and more / less and less + [adjective/adverb/verb]", you use "de plus en plus / de moins en moins + [adjective/adverb/verb]".

How to use 'de plus en plus' and 'de moins en moins' to make comparisons in French

Look at these examples:

Ce travail est de plus en plus intéressant.This work is more and more interesting.

Les ordinateurs deviennent de moins en moins chers.Computers are becoming less and less expensive.

Mon portable se recharge de plus en plus lentement avec le temps.My mobile charges more and more slowly over time.

Nous y allons de moins en moins souvent.We go there less and less often.

Jacques mange de plus en plus avec le temps.Jacques eats more and more as time goes by.

Ma grand-mère sort de moins en moins.My grandmother goes out less and less.

Note that to use more and more and less and less in French, it goes as follows:

English French

 

more and more [adjective]

[adjective]-er and [adjective]-er

de plus en plus [adjectif] 

less and less [adjective]

 

de moins en moins [adjectif]


more and more [adverb]

less and less [adverb]


de plus en plus [adverbe]

de moins en moins [adverbe]


[verb] more and more

[verb] less and less


[verbe] de plus en plus

[verbe] de moins en moins 

Attention:

De plus en plus/De moins en moins (on their own)  cannot be placed at the beginning of the sentence, unlike in English:

More and more, I knew what I wanted. 
De plus en plus, je savais ce que je voulais.
-> Je savais de plus en plus ce que je voulais.

 

See also Better and better, worse and worse = de mieux en mieux, de pire en pire (Comparisons in French)
Plus... plus..., moins... moins... = the more...the more..., the less...the less... (comparisons with phrases)
and De plus en plus de / de moins en moins de + [nom] = more and more / less and less + [nouns] (Comparisons in French)

 

Here are other Comparative structures:

Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adjectives in French)
Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adverbs in French)
Plus que/Moins que/Autant que = More than/Less than/As much as (Comparisons with Verbs in French)
Plus de ... que/Moins de ... que/Autant de ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As much/many ... as (Comparisons with Nouns in French)

And Superlative structures:

Le/la/les plus and Le/la/les moins = The most and the least (Superlative with Adjectives in French)
Le plus/Le moins = The most/the least (Superlative with Adverbs in French)
Forming the superlative of French adjectives in complex cases
Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Ma grand-mère sort de moins en moins.My grandmother goes out less and less.
Les ordinateurs deviennent de moins en moins chers.Computers are becoming less and less expensive.
Ce travail est de plus en plus intéressant.This work is more and more interesting.
Mon portable se recharge de plus en plus lentement avec le temps.My mobile charges more and more slowly over time.
Nous y allons de moins en moins souvent.We go there less and less often.
Jacques mange de plus en plus avec le temps.Jacques eats more and more as time goes by.
Thinking...