Learn French: L'entreprise a moins de concurrents depuis la faillite. - The company has fewer competitors since the bankruptcy.

L'entreprise a moins de concurrents depuis la faillite.

The company has fewer competitors since the bankruptcy.

Breakdown of L'entreprise a moins de concurrents depuis la faillite.

avoir

to have

of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)

Questions & Answers about L'entreprise a moins de concurrents depuis la faillite.

Since this lesson is about the subjunctive, why is there no subjunctive in this sentence?

This sentence is stating a direct, objective fact: the company definitely has fewer competitors. The subjunctive is only triggered by specific expressions of doubt, possibility, or emotion (like il est possible que). Because there is no trigger here, the verb a stays in the normal present tense (the indicative).

Why is it moins de concurrents and not moins des concurrents?

After expressions of quantity—such as moins (fewer/less), plus (more), and beaucoup (a lot)—you always use the preposition de by itself, dropping the plural article les. Therefore, it becomes moins de.

The word concurrents looks like the English word "concurrent". Is it a false friend?

Yes, it is a major false friend! In French, un concurrent is a competitor or rival. If you want to say that things are happening at the same time (concurrently) in French, you would use an expression like en même temps or the adjective simultané.

Why do we use depuis here for "since"?

Depuis is used to point to a specific starting event in the past (the bankruptcy). It shows that the new situation (having fewer competitors) started at that moment and continues to be true in the present.