moins
/mwɛ̃/
The English phrase "minus" is translated into French as moins.
In mathematics, moins is used as a preposition meaning "less" to indicate subtraction. It can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is on the negative part of a scale.
Meaning: mathematics: less (prep)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking for the result of a subtraction, French speakers often use the third person plural of the verb faire, which is font, to mean "is", "equals" or "makes". For example, one might ask Combien font neuf moins six? (How many is nine minus six?).
How do you pronounce it?
/mwɛ̃/
Did you know?
- When talking about time, the word moins is used to subtract minutes from an hour, like in dix heures moins le quart for quarter to ten.
- The phrase au moins means 'at least', using the mathematical concept of 'less' to establish a minimum threshold.
- The word moins can be used as a noun in the phrase le moins, meaning 'the least' or 'the minimum'.
Examples in context
- Sept moins deux égal cinq.Seven minus two is five.This sentence is useful for seeing how to state a subtraction result using moins.Tatoeba #10005121 by Cronos87, translation #7977018 by deniko
- Combien font neuf moins six ?How many is nine minus six?This sentence shows how to ask for the result of a subtraction using moins and the verb font.Tatoeba #523024 by zmoo, translation #519105 by blay_paul
- Huit moins quatre font quatre.Eight minus four is four.This sentence demonstrates how to use moins when the result of a subtraction is stated with font.Tatoeba #6876211 by GB3, translation #6616411 by shekitten
- Je dois aller travailler en moins d'une heure.I have to go to work in less than an hour.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is helping Lucas with a math problem.
- EmmaLucas, combien font dix moins trois ?Lucas, how much is ten minus three?
- LucasJe pense que ça fait sept.I think it makes seven.
- EmmaC'est correct, bravo !That is correct, well done!
- LucasMerci, Emma.Thank you, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minus” translations and entries moins, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
