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In this post we’ll look at the pronunciation of the very common French word plus.
C’est plus cher.
The most common use of plus is probably with adjectives. Plus means more or –er, and le/la plus means the most or –est.
- Ce restaurant est plus cher.
This restaurant is more expensive - C’est plus tranquille ici.
It’s calmer here. - Paris est plus grand que Lyon.
Paris is bigger than Lyon. - L’Asie est le plus grand continent du monde.
Asia is the biggest continent in the world.
In this use, plus is pronounced without the final –s, which we’ll represent as (ply). The exception is of course if the adjective begins with a vowel sound, causing liaison. In this case the final –s in pronounced, but as a -z. We can represent that as (ply_z), since you’ll stick the -z onto the beginning of the adjective.
- Le printemps est plus agréable que l’été. (ply_z)
Spring is nicer than summer. - Les livres sont plus intéressants que les films. (ply_z)
Books are more interesting than movies.
Je n’ai plus d’argent.
The other really common use of plus is in the negative ne… plus, meaning no more, not any more, no longer, etc. In this use, plus is always pronounced with a silent –s, the same as it’s pronounced with adjectives when it means more or –er.
- Je n’ai plus d’argent. (ply)
I have no more money. - Elle n’y travaille plus. (ply)
She doesn’t work there any more. - Je ne veux plus rester ici. (ply)
I don’t want to stay here any longer.
Je ne veux plus de bière. (ply) - I don’t want any more beer.
Check out this post to see more on ne… plus as well as other negative constructions in French.
Of course, in cases of liaison, the -s will be pronounced like a -z.
- Il ne peut plus apprendre. (ply_z)
He can’t learn any more. - Je ne veux plus entendre sa voix. (ply_z)
I don’t want to hear his voice anymore.
Plus de café ?
The phrase plus de X means more X. In this use, the –s at the end of plus is pronounced like an –s: (plys).
- Je veux plus de gâteau. (plys)
I want more cake. - Nous avons plus de temps. (plys)
We have more time. - T’en veux plus ? (plys)
Do you want any more?
Plus de gâteau ? Non, plus de gâteau.
Where French learners run into trouble is in pairs like:
- Je veux plus de gâteau.
I want more cake. - Je veux plus de gâteau.
I don’t want any more cake.
How could the same sentence mean two opposite things? Well, they’re not the same sentence! The first one is plus de X meaning more X. That plus is pronounced (plys). The second one is actually ne… plus, the negative plus with a silent s (ply), and a dropped ne. Tricky!
- Je veux plus de gâteau. (plys)
I want more cake. - Je veux plus de gâteau. (ply)
I don’t want any more cake. - Plus de sucre ! (plys)
More sugar! - Plus de sucre ! (ply)
No more sugar! - J’en veux plus. (plys)
I want some more. - J’en veux plus. (ply)
I don’t want any more.
Un plus un fait deux.
When plus means plus in the sense of addition, the -s is pronounced. This includes the expression en plus (plus, what’s more, in addition to...)
- Deux plus deux fait quatre. (plys)
Two plus two makes four. - Sept plus huit égale quinze. (plys)
Seven plus eight equals fifteen. - Nous avons trois chiens, deux chats, plus un poisson rouge. (plys)
We have three dogs, two cats, plus a gold fish. - Elle est belle et intelligente, et en plus elle est super sympa ! (plys)
She’s beautiful and intelligent, and what’s more, she’s super friendly!
Plus de + Number
If you use plus de followed by a number (more than X), the –s is silent.
- Ils habitent dans une maison qui a plus de cent ans. (ply)
They live in a house that’s more than one hundred years old. - On est là depuis plus de trois ans. (ply)
We’ve been here for more than three years.
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