Better and better, worse and worse = de mieux en mieux, de pire en pire (Comparisons in French)

In French, to make comparisons such as "better and better / worse and worse", you use "de mieux en mieux / de pire en pire".

How to use 'de mieux en mieux' and 'de pire en pire' in French

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 !
Literally "so much [the] worse"

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!

Tant mieux pour eux !All the better for them!
Good for them!

See also Plus... plus..., moins... moins... = the more...the more..., the less...the less... (comparisons with phrases)De plus en plus / De moins en moins + [adverbe/adjectif/verbe] = more and more / less and less + [adverb/adjective/verb] (Comparisons in French) and De plus en plus de / de moins en moins de + [nom] = more and more / less and less + [nouns] (Comparisons in French)

 

Here are other Comparative structures:

Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adjectives in French)
Plus ... que/Moins ... que/Aussi ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As ... as (Comparisons with Adverbs in French)
Plus que/Moins que/Autant que = More than/Less than/As much as (Comparisons with Verbs in French)
Plus de ... que/Moins de ... que/Autant de ... que = More ... than/Less ... than/As much/many ... as (Comparisons with Nouns in French)

And Superlative structures:

Le/la/les plus and Le/la/les moins = The most and the least (Superlative with Adjectives in French)
Le plus/Le moins = The most/the least (Superlative with Adverbs in French)
Forming the superlative of French adjectives in complex cases
Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)

 

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Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Il dessine de mieux en mieuxHe draws better and better
Ça va de pire en pireIt's (getting) worse and worse
C'est tant pis pour moi !It's too bad for me!
It's all the worse for me!
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.
Ses relations avec elle vont de mal en pis.His relationship with her is going from bad to worse.
Les ordinateurs deviennent de mieux en mieux.Computers are becoming better and better.

Expressions with mieux and pis


Le magasin est déjà fermé. - Tant pis !The shop is already closed. - Oh well / too bad !
Literally "so much [the] worse"
Tant mieux !So much the better!
All the better!
Even better!
Great!
Clever stuff happening!