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How to Say ‘A bit earlier’ in French

Un peu plus tôt

uhn puh plew toh

[uhn puh plew toh]

💬 Usage Tip: Put plus before a word to mean "more": plus tôt "earlier", plus tard "later". Don't confuse them with plutôt "rather", which sounds the same.

Phrase Breakdown

Un peu

uhn puh

A little

'Un' is nasal. 'Peu' has the rounded 'eu' sound, made with your lips pushed forward.

Example

Un peu de sucre ?

A little sugar?

Words in this phrase

[uhn]

a / one

Indefinite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Un café peut être une bonne occasion de discuter.

A coffee can be a good opportunity to talk.

peu

[puh]

little

Used to indicate a small amount.

Example

Il y a peu de gens.

There are few people.

plus tôt

plew toh

earlier

Say 'plu tô'. The S of 'plus' and the T of 'tôt' are silent. Don't confuse it with 'plutôt' (rather), which sounds the same.

Example

Viens plus tôt demain.

Come earlier tomorrow.

Words in this phrase

plus

[plew]

Comparative word meaning 'more'; before an adjective or adverb it forms 'more ...' or '-er'.

Example

Je préfère venir plus tard.

I prefer to come later.

tôt

[toh]

early

Adverb meaning at an early time.

Example

Je me lève tôt.

I get up early.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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