How to Say ‘There were fewer customers’ in French
Il y avait moins de clients
eel ee a-VEH mwahn duh klee-ahn
[eel ee a-VEH mwahn duh klee-ahn]
💬 Usage Tip: il y avait is the past form of il y a "there is". Use it to describe how things were over a period, which is ideal for explaining a dip on a chart.
Phrase Breakdown
Il y avait
eel ee a-VEH
There were
The past (imperfect) form of 'il y a'. Say it smoothly as 'ee-lya-veh'.
Il y avait beaucoup de monde.
There were a lot of people.
Words in this phrase
Il
[eel]
it (impersonal)
Impersonal subject used with verbs like 'rester' meaning 'there is left'.
Il reste du pain.
There is some bread left.
y
[ee]
there
In or at that place.
Y a-t-il une solution?
Is there a solution?
avait
[a-VEH]
had
Imperfect of 'avoir', used to form the pluperfect.
Il avait déjà mangé.
He had already eaten.
moins de clients
mwahn duh klee-ahn
fewer customers
Use 'moins de' before a noun. Keep 'moins' nasal and don't pronounce the final consonants.
Nous avons moins de clients en été.
We have fewer customers in summer.
Words in this phrase
moins
[mwahn]
less
Adverb meaning a smaller amount.
Je bois moins de café.
I drink less coffee.
de
[duh]
of
Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.
Un verre de lait.
A glass of milk.
clients
[klee-ahn]
clients / customers
People who buy services or products from a business.
Avec les clients, elle garde toujours un ton professionnel.
With clients, she always keeps a professional tone.
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