Log inSign up

Moins de deux films restent à l'affiche aujourd'hui.

Moins de deux films restent à l'affiche aujourd'hui.
Fewer than two movies remain playing today.
From Lesson 399:Paradoxical agreement (plus d'un, moins de deux)·French

Questions & Answers about Moins de deux films restent à l'affiche aujourd'hui.

Wait, logically 'fewer than two' means one or zero. Why is the verb restent in the plural?
This is the famous agreement paradox! In French, grammar often wins over strict logic. Since deux is a plural number, the noun films and the verb restent must agree with it in the plural, even though the actual quantity described is less than two.
Does the opposite happen with 'plus d'un' (more than one)?
Exactly! Just as moins de deux takes a plural verb because of the word deux, plus d'un takes a singular verb because of the word un. So you would say Plus d'un film reste à l'affiche, even though logically it refers to multiple movies.
What does à l'affiche literally mean, and how is it used?
Literally, it means 'at the poster'. It is the standard French idiom for a movie, play, or exhibition that is currently 'showing', 'playing', or 'on the bill' in theaters.
Why is it Moins de deux films and not Moins que deux films?
When expressing a quantity followed by a number, you must use de after plus or moins. You only use que when making a direct comparison between two things or people, for example: Ce film est moins long que l'autre (This movie is shorter than the other).

Learn Moins de deux films restent à l'affiche aujourd'hui and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →