Look at these comparisons:
Plus je regarde la télévision, plus je la déteste
The more I watch television, the more I hate it.
Plus tu es beau, plus la vie est facile.
The more beautiful you are, the easier life is
Moins je dors, moins j'en ai besoin
The less I sleep, the less I need to
Plus j'écoute, moins je l'aime
The more I listen, the less I like it
Notice that expressions like the more X the more Y are similar in French, but the definite article (the) doesn't make an appearance.
Note also that in French you keep the order of the sentence intact, unlike English where you put the adjective after more for example, The more anxious you are...
Plus nous sommes généreux, plus les gens nous le rendront.
The more generous we are, the more people will give back to us.
See also Better and better, worse and worse = de mieux en mieux, de pire en pire (comparisons), 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)
Plus j'écoute, moins je l'aime
The more I listen, the less I like it
Moins je dors, moins j'en ai besoin
The less I sleep, the less I need to
Plus nous sommes généreux, plus les gens nous le rendront.
The more generous we are, the more people will give back to us.
Plus je regarde la télévision, plus je la déteste
The more I watch television, the more I hate it.
Plus tu es beau, plus la vie est facile.
The more beautiful you are, the easier life is
Plus je fais de l'exercice, plus j'en ai envie
The more I exercise, the more I want to
"Plus nous sommes généreux, plus les gens nous le rendront.
The more generous we are, the more people will give it back to us."
A better English translation would be:
The more generous we are, the more people will give back to us.
The "it" should be absent because we are speaking in general terms. The word "it" in English in this sentence implies a previously mentioned specific thing which is absent in this case.
Bonjour Miller !
Je suis complètement d'accord ! L'exemple a été changé :)
Merci et bonne journée !
"Plus nous sommes généreux, plus les gens nous le rendront.
The more generous we are, the more people will give it back to us."
A better English translation would be:
The more generous we are, the more people will give back to us.
The "it" should be absent because we are speaking in general terms. The word "it" in English in this sentence implies a previously mentioned specific thing which is absent in this case.
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Bonjour Tamara !
The sound example was actually wrong, and thanks to you, it's now been fixed! In the expression "plus...plus...", you don't pronounce the 's' at the end of 'plus'.
Here is the fixed lesson:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/my-languages/french/view/131
Merci !
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Rebonjour Aaron,
Sorry about that. In certain expressions, including plus __ plus ___ and de plus en plus, pronouncing the s at the end of the plus is optional. (Unless of course there's a required liaison, as in de plus en plus.)
Bonjour Aaron,
The general rule is that s at the end of the French word plus is pronounced when it's positive, and not when it's negative. So,
J'ai plus de temps = I have more time = s is pronounced.
Je n'ai plus de temps = I don't have any more time = s is silent.
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