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Gradual French Expression
| Meaning | little by little, bit by bit, gradually | |
| Literally | little to little | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  | [peu tee tah peu tee] |
| IPA | [pə ti ta pə ti] | |
Usage notes: The adverbial expression petit à petit describes an ongoing process, a series of distinct steps that lead to a final product or resolution.
Par exemple…
| Il faut remplir tous ces formulaires, petit à petit. | We have to fill out all these forms, little by little. | |
| Le nouveau gérant réduit nos avantages, petit à petit. | The new manager is chipping away at our perks. |
Proverb: Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.
- literally, "Bit by bit, the bird makes its nest."
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
- Slow and steady wins the race.
Synonymous expressions
- par morceaux
- par petites touches
- progressivement
In contrast to petit à petit, the expression peu à peu is used when the evolution occurs without clearly distinguishable steps or phases.
Par exemple…
| La situation s’améliore peu à peu. | The situation is getting better, little by little. | |
| L’eau monte peu à peu. | The water is gradually rising. |
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