In French, plus and davantage both mean "more," but they have one crucial difference.
"More" with nouns and verbs
To express "more of" a noun, you can use either plus de or davantage de (or d' before a vowel). Davantage de is slightly more formal.
| We must plant more native trees. | Nous devons planter plus d'arbres indigènes. |
You can use both in the same sentence to vary your vocabulary and avoid repetition:
| Reforestation requires more time and more native plants. | Le reboisement demande davantage de temps et plus de plantes indigènes. |
Both words can also be used directly after a verb to express doing an action "more."
| The forest is degraded, so we must plant more. | La forêt est dégradée, donc nous devons planter davantage. |
Adjectives and adverbs
Davantage can NEVER be used with adjectives or adverbs. To say "more [adjective]" or "more [adverb]," you must use plus.
| This forest soil is more fragile now. | Ce sol forestier est plus fragile maintenant. |
| To avoid degrading the soil, you must walk more carefully. | Pour ne pas dégrader le sol, vous devez marcher plus prudemment. |
Comparisons with "que"
To explicitly compare two things ("more... than..."), follow either quantifier with que (than).
| These thick trunks absorb more carbon than small plants. | Ces gros troncs absorbent davantage de carbone que les petites plantes. |
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