Learn French: Le médecin dit que je cours moins qu'avant parce que je suis sédentaire. - The doctor says that I run less than before because I am sedentary.

To compare how much an action is done, you use the structure verb + plus / moins / autant + que. Here, the verb cours is modified by moins que. Notice that the comparative word moins is placed directly after the conjugated verb.

Can I use a time word like avant directly after que?

Yes! Just like in English, you can compare an action to a previous time. moins qu'avant translates perfectly to 'less than before'. You can also use other time adverbs this way, like plus qu'hier (more than yesterday).

Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of moins in this sentence?

No, the 's' in moins is silent here. You only pronounce the 's' in moins if it forms a liaison with a following vowel. Since the next word (qu') starts with a hard consonant sound, there is no liaison.

If the sentence used plus instead of moins, would the pronunciation rules change?

Yes! If the sentence were je cours plus qu'avant (I run more than before), you would pronounce the 's' in plus. When comparing verbs with plus, the 's' is always pronounced, which helps distinguish it from the negative ne... plus (no longer).