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  1. Qu'est-ce qui te fait la plus peur ?

  2. Qu'est-ce qui te fait la plus de peur ?

Which sentence is correct? If we look at faire peur as an expression and want to modify the whole expression, then we should use the first option. But if we just want to modify the noun peur, then we should use the second.

1 Answer 1

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In the expression faire peur the noun peur is used without the definite article la.

Traverser ce carrefour me fait peur.

In ce qui te fais le plus peur, le plus modifies the verbal phrase faire peur and not the noun peur, therefore it is considered neutral, i.e. neither masculine nor feminine, and in French neutral has the same form as the masculine.

Qu'est-ce qui te fait le plus peur ?
Qu'est-ce qui te fait le plus de peur ? (this sounds rather awkward, but I can't really say it is not correct)

If you define peur then you can use the superlative on the noun, and thus la plus is used according to the gender of the noun because you compare it with other kinds of peur(s).

Qu'est-ce qui t'a fait la plus grande peur de ta vie ?
Connais-tu une plus grande peur que de te trouver face à face avec un lion ?

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  • What's the explanation why we can use le plus de peur? It sounds almost like we are just modifying peur here.
    – user11550
    Nov 4, 2016 at 12:08
  • @user11550 is your question about why le an not la or you we can say le plus de peur ? Actually Qu'est-ce qui te fait le plus de peur ? sounds rather awkward but I can't say it's not correct.
    – None
    Nov 4, 2016 at 12:30
  • Ok thanks, that answered my question.
    – user11550
    Nov 4, 2016 at 14:25
  • 1
    @user11550 consider ticking the answer then ! Nov 7, 2016 at 9:39

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