De plus en plus de / de moins en moins de + [nom] = more and more / less and less + [nouns] (Comparisons in French)

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

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

Look at these sentences:

J'ai de moins en moins de patience pour ces choses-là.I've got less and less patience for those things.

Ma fille a de plus en plus de peluches dans sa chambre.My daughter has more and more plush toys in her bedroom.

De moins en moins de gens s'envoient des lettres.Fewer and fewer people send letters to each other.

J'ai de plus en plus de mal à me concentrer.I'm struggling more and more to focus.

To express more and more [thing(s)] and less/fewer [thing(s)], you will use de plus en plus de [chose(s)] and de moins en moins de [chose(s)].

Remember that the last de becomes d' in front of a vowel or a mute h.

Tu fais de plus en plus d'efforts pour m'aider.You make more and more effort to help me.
  

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

 

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

De moins en moins de gens s'envoient des lettres.Fewer and fewer people send letters to each other.
J'ai de plus en plus de mal à me concentrer.I'm struggling more and more to focus.
Tu fais de plus en plus d'efforts pour m'aider.You make more and more effort to help me.
Ma fille a de plus en plus de peluches dans sa chambre.My daughter has more and more plush toys in her bedroom.
J'ai de moins en moins de patience pour ces choses-là.I've got less and less patience for those things.
Thinking...