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French - pronunciation query

17 replies

A · 30/11/2006 21:07

Can anyone help? - I would like to check how "plus" is pronounced (with or without the final s sound) in different situations eg: ne plus (I think without?) and plus ... que comparative. When do you hear the s? Thanks.

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dean · 30/11/2006 21:15

plus que - not the other

SilentBite · 30/11/2006 21:16

ploo
is about the best approximation I can get

Rowlers · 30/11/2006 21:17

plue
don't ever say the s

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A · 30/11/2006 21:21

Many thanks - am being thrown also by "de plus en plus" and "plus de personnes" meaning more people not no more people. Would you hear the s here?

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dean · 30/11/2006 21:22

sorry pronounce the s on plus que not the other - is hub2dee married to a french lady?

tribpot · 30/11/2006 21:22

No s even before a vowel? Plus en plus being case en point.

Pruni · 30/11/2006 21:23

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 30/11/2006 21:23

Message withdrawn

Rowlers · 30/11/2006 21:24

Yes sorry - replied too quickly!
Yes - pronounce the s if it preceeds a vowel

Pruni · 30/11/2006 21:24

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dean · 30/11/2006 21:25

de plus- en plus i would pronounce s

Rowlers · 30/11/2006 21:27

Actually I'm talking crap - teach too much German these days and my French teaching is limited to 11 and 12 year olds
Here:
It's a bit long

The French word plus can be used in any of a number of different expressions or as an adverb.

Its usage, especially in such similar-looking expressions as en plus and de plus, can be confusing. In addition, it can be pronounced in three different ways: [ploos] - [ploo] - [plooz]. This lesson will cover the different expressions and uses of plus and explain how to pronounce it in each situation.

Most of the time, plus can be pronounced [ploo] or [ploos] according to the whim of the speaker - these are unmarked. In the instances where plus must be pronounced one way or the other, the pronunciation is given below. Note that plus is pronounced [plooz] only when it precedes a vowel (due to liaison).

En plus vs De plus
En plus is used to signify something above and beyond, while de plus is used to make a comparison (this is sometimes a very subtle distinction).

en plus extra
J'ai une chaise en plus. I have an extra chair.
les frais de poste en plus shipping charges (are) extra; not including shipping

en plus de on top of
En plus de ses cours, il travaille à plein-temps. On top of his classes, he works full-time.
En plus de cela... On top of all that...

de plus more, additional, in addition, furthermore
J'ai une chaise de plus. I have an additional chair.
Il a 3 ans de plus que moi. He is three years older than I am.
De plus, nous sommes en retard. (And) Furthermore, we're late.

une fois de plus once more
Allons-y une fois de plus. Let's go there one more time.

de plus en plus more and more
Je deviens de plus en plus fatigué. I'm getting more and more tired.
aller de plus en plus vite to go faster and faster

au plus at the most
Tu as une heure au plus. You have an hour at the most.

tout au plus at the very most
Il a 15 minutes tout au plus. He has 15 minutes at the very most.

qui plus est [plooz] furthermore (interchangeable with de plus)
Qui plus est, je ne veux pas le faire. And furthermore, I don't want to do it.

d'autant plus ! [ploos] All the more reason!

  • Je ne veux pas acheter un livre ; je n'aime pas lire.
  • D'autant plus ! - I don't want to buy a book; I don't like to read.
  • All the more reason (that you should)!

plus + adverb [ploo] more + adverb
Marchez plus vite. Walk more quickly.
Parle plus haut ! Speak up!

plus ou moins [plooz] more or less, about
Il a plus ou moins 10 ordinateurs. He has about 10 computers.
Elle a fait plus ou moins tout. She did more or less everything.

plus que jamais [ploos] more than ever
Je t'aime plus que jamais. I love you more than ever.

tant et plus de [ploo] ever so much, many
Il y a tant et plus d'eau ! There is ever so much water!
Nous avons tant et plus de livres ! We have ever so many books!

Plus ça change... (plus c'est la même chose) The more things change... (the more they stay the same)
Plus fait douceur que violence. Kindness succeeds where force will fail.
Plus on est de fous, plus on rit. [plooz] The more the merrier.

Rowlers · 30/11/2006 21:31

That's not v helpful is it?
I'm losing my touch..
I'll stick with my say it before a vowel - that covers most ways of using plus

A · 30/11/2006 21:39

Many thanks again - that is a great help.

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lapinrose · 30/11/2006 21:40

as has been said, but just to confirm and answer other Q...

as with other consonants at the end of french words, you pronounce the s before a vowel as in de plus en plus

plus always means more as in plus grand que = bigger than (more big than) unless its with ne in which case no more/not any more as in il n'y a plus de pommes = there's no more apples

plus de personnes = more people but il n'y a plus de personnes = there's no more people (left) but you would usually use il n'y a personne there's no one

does that help or confuse

miao · 01/12/2006 09:35

A rough and simple rule is you pronounce the s when it's positive and no s when it's negative, unless in front of a vowel. Eg. T'en veux plus? is pronounced but Il n'y en a plus is not. Or at least that's the way I learnt it when living in France...

HTH

A · 01/12/2006 20:55

All loads of help thanks!

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