Look at these sentences:
Les ordinateurs deviennent de mieux en mieux
Computers are becoming better and better
Ma mémoire est de pire en pire
My memory is getting worse and worse
Ses relations avec elle vont de mal en pis
His relationship with her is going from bad to worse
Expressions like better and better and worse and worse are formed with:
de mieux en mieux = better and better
de pire en pire = worse and worse
de mal en pis= from bad to worse
Also note that the following expressions use mieux and pis on their own:
Le magasin est déjà fermé. - Tant pis !
The shop is already closed. - Oh well / too bad !
Tant mieux!
So much the better!
All the better!
Even better!
Great!
C'est tant pis pour moi !
It's too bad for me!
It's all the worse for me!
See also Plus... plus..., moins... moins... = the more...the more..., the less...the less... (comparisons with phrases), De plus en plus and de moins en moins = more and more and less and less (comparisons with adjectives, adverbs, verbs) and De plus en plus de and de moins en moins de = more and more and less and less (comparisons of nouns)
Here are other Comparative structures:
Making comparisons with adjectives: plus... que, aussi... que, moins... que
Making comparisons with adverbs: plus... que, aussi... que, moins... que
Making comparisons with verbs: plus que, autant que, moins que
Making comparisons with nouns: plus de... que, moins de... que, autant de... que
And Superlative structures:
Le, la, les plus and le, la, les moins = the most and the least (superlatives of adjectives)
Le plus and le moins = the most and the least (superlative of adverbs)
Forming the superlative of adjectives in complex cases
Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst (irregular comparatives and superlatives)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Ses relations avec elle vont de mal en pis
His relationship with her is going from bad to worse
Ça va de pire en pire
It's (getting) worse and worse
Tant mieux pour eux !
All the better for them!
Good for them!
Ma mémoire est de pire en pire
My memory is getting worse and worse
C'est tant pis pour moi !
It's too bad for me!
It's all the worse for me!
Les ordinateurs deviennent de mieux en mieux
Computers are becoming better and better
Il dessine de mieux en mieux
He draws better and better
Expressions with mieux and pis
Tant mieux!
So much the better!
All the better!
Even better!
Great!
Le magasin est déjà fermé. - Tant pis !
The shop is already closed. - Oh well / too bad !
yellamaraju
Kwiziq community member
29 January 2016
2 replies
usage of "pire and pis"
Ses relations avec elle vont de mal en pis / Ça va de pire en pire. When to use pire and pis both mean "worse".
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
29 January 2016
29/01/16
The word "pis" is the old version of "pire", and as such it is used much less in speech and written French nowadays.
You will usually encounter "pis" in fixed expressions, such as "de mal en pis" (you would never say "de mal en pire") or "tant pis" (i.e. too bad).
The rest of the time, you use "pire" to express "worse"
I hope that's helpful !
A bientôt !
yellamaraju
Kwiziq community member
29 January 2016
29/01/16