French Phrase
Les bus de nuit passent moins souvent.
Meaning
The sentence states that night buses run with a lower frequency than during the day. It can be used to describe a schedule, to complain, or simply to inform someone about the limited service at night.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about public‑transport timetables, planning a late‑night trip, or explaining why you might need an alternative (taxi, rideshare, walking) after dark.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lesbusdenuitpassentmoinssouvent.
Definite article + plural noun
« Les » is the plural definite article used before a plural noun like « bus ».
Prepositional phrase « de nuit »
« de nuit » functions as an adjective phrase meaning “night‑time”, placed after the noun it modifies.
Verb agreement – « passent »
« Passer » is conjugated in the present tense, third‑person plural to agree with the plural subject « les bus ».
Adverbial phrase « moins souvent »
« moins » (less) modifies the adverb « souvent » (often). The whole phrase means “less often”.
Word order
In French, adverbs of frequency (like « souvent ») usually follow the verb; when combined with « moins », they stay together after the verb.
🗨In Conversation
Est‑ce que les bus de nuit passent souvent ici ?
Do the night buses run often here?
Non, les bus de nuit passent moins souvent, généralement une fois toutes les heures.
No, night buses run less often, usually about once an hour.
✕Common Mistakes
Les bus de nuit passe moins souvent.
The verb must agree with the plural subject « les bus »; use « passent ».
Les bus de nuit passent souvent moins.
The correct order is « moins souvent », not « souvent moins ».
Les bus de la nuit passent moins souvent.
When the phrase directly modifies the noun, use the short form « de nuit ».
↔Alternatives
Les bus nocturnes circulent moins souvent.
Night buses circulate less often.
Les bus de nuit sont moins fréquents.
Night buses are less frequent.
Il y a moins de passages de bus la nuit.
There are fewer bus passages at night.
Cultural Tip
In many French cities, night service is provided by special lines (e.g., the Noctilien network in Paris). These lines usually run every 30‑60 minutes, and some suburbs may have no night service at all. When speaking to locals, a polite tone is appreciated; you can also ask “Quel est le dernier bus ?” to find out the final departure time.