What does it mean word for word?
The phrase includes the pronoun en, which means 'of it' or 'of them'. This is why you must say j'en veux plus rather than just 'je veux plus'.
Which one should you use?
The phrase j'en veux plus is ambiguous in spoken French. Depending on whether the speaker emphasizes the word 'plus' or omits the 's' sound at the end, it can mean either 'I want more' or 'I don't want any more'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of France, particularly in the northern regions, the informal phrase Je veux du rab is used to mean 'I want extra'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To avoid ambiguity and explicitly mean 'I don't want any more', you should use the standard grammatical negation ne… plus, which results in the phrase je n'en veux plus.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because j'en veux plus can be interpreted as 'I don't want any more', use je n'en veux plus if you want to clearly communicate that you do not want any more of something.
Did you know?
- The informal term rab in Je veux du rab is a shortened version of rabattement, which refers to a fold or a surplus of fabric in tailoring.
- The word plus is one of the few words in French where the pronunciation of a final consonant completely changes the grammatical function of the sentence.
- The word rab in the informal phrase Je veux du rab comes from the word rabais, which usually means a 'discount' or 'reduction' in a commercial context.
Examples in context
- J'en veux plus que ça.I want more than that.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use j'en veux plus to express wanting more than a specific amount.Tatoeba #11602246 by Aiji, translation #3374682 by CK
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are sharing a plate of fries.
- ChloéCes frites sont trop bonnes.These fries are too good.
- LucasTu veux en reprendre ?Do you want some more?
- ChloéOui, j'en veux plus s'il te plaît.Yes, I want more please.
- LucasTiens, sers-toi !Here, help yourself!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
