mieux

Mieux is a French adverb meaning "better." It is the comparative form of bien and is used to express improvement, a higher degree of quality, or a more favorable option. As an adverb, mieux typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses, rather than directly qualifying a noun, which is the domain of the adjective meilleur/meilleure (the comparative of bon).

Etymology traces mieux to Old French meillor, from Latin melior, meaning "better." It developed as the adverbial counterpart of bien, in contrast to the adjective pair bon/bonne with its own comparative meilleur/meilleure.

Usage and patterns

- Comparisons: Il parle mieux que moi (he speaks better than I do).

- Improvement or state of health: Il va mieux (he is feeling better).

- Doing something well: Elle cuisine mieux quand elle est motivée (she cooks better when she is motivated).

- Fixed expressions: Il vaut mieux … (it is better to …); faire de son mieux (to do one's best).

- The noun phrase le mieux can mean "the best" in contexts like il faut faire le mieux possible (one must do the best possible thing).

Notes

- Bien and mieux form a separate pair from bon and meilleur. Bien is the usual adverb for "well," while mieux is its comparative form, used to indicate improvement or relative superiority.

- Mieux is invariable; it does not change for gender or number, though its role in a sentence may shift with other elements.

In sum, mieux functions as the standard French marker of improvement and higher degree in verbs and clauses, with widespread use in everyday expressions and idioms.