le plus
The English phrase "most" can be translated into French as le plus.
In French, le plus is used to form the superlative of both adjectives and adverbs. Note that it is distinct from beaucoup de (many/much) or la plupart (most/the majority of). For formal contexts, you may use La majorité des to mean "the majority of" before a plural noun or Le plus grand nombre de to mean "the greatest number of".
How does it change in a sentence?
When 'most' modifies a feminine noun or adjective, the masculine le plus changes to the feminine la plus. When 'most' modifies a plural noun or adjective, le plus changes to les plus.
Did you know?
- Depending on whether the final 's' in plus is pronounced, the word can switch meanings from 'more' to 'no more'.
- The word le in le plus is a linguistic descendant of the Latin word illum, which was specifically the accusative form of 'that'.
- When using le plus to mean 'the most' in a superlative sense, it can sometimes be replaced by le mieux if you are referring to doing something in the best way possible.
Examples in context
- Que veux-tu le plus ?What is it you want most?This sentence is useful for asking what someone wants most using le plus.Tatoeba #1844478 by sacredceltic, translation #1841538 by CK
- Suis-je le plus humble ?Am I the most humble?This sentence is useful for asking if one is the most humble using le plus.Tatoeba #11015157 by Micsmithel, translation #7715444 by Objectivesea
- Tu étais le plus adroit.You were the most skillful.This sentence is useful for stating someone was the most skillful using le plus.Tatoeba #13061659 by Rovo, translation #13081624 by rul
- La plupart des étudiants aiment la musique.Most of the students like music.
- La majorité des citoyens ont voté pour le maire.The majority of the citizens voted for the mayor.
- La plupart du temps, je prends le bus pour me rendre au travail.Most of the time, I take the bus to go to work.
- La plupart des gens aiment regarder des films le week-end.Most people enjoy watching movies on the weekends.
- Je vais au cinéma le plus souvent possible.I go to the movies most of the time.
- Presque tous les étudiants ont participé à l'excursion au musée.Almost all of the students participated in the museum excursion.
- Il est le plus grand chanteur du pays.He is the tallest singer in the country.
- Cette voiture est la plus rapide du monde.This car is the fastest in the world.
- 310 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are discussing which movie to watch.
- LéaLequel de ces films est le plus intéressant ?Which of these movies is the most interesting?
- NathanJe pense que ce film d'action est le plus prenant.I think this action movie is the most gripping.
- LéaD'accord, c'est le plus grand succès de l'année.Okay, it is the biggest hit of the year.
- NathanAlors, regardons-le ensemble !Then, let's watch it together!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, plus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
