A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "How long does it take" in French
Ask how long a journey, task, or event will take in French with this essential time-related phrase.
Combien de temps ça prend ?
kohmb-ee-ehn duh tahn sah prahnneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when asking about the duration of a train ride, a cooking process, or how long a meeting will last. It's perfect for planning your day or understanding schedules.
Alternatives
- Quel est le temps nécessaire ?Slightly more formal, good for official contexts.
- Ça prend combien de temps ?A bit more casual, often used in spoken French.
Ways to get it wrong
Silent 's' in 'temps'
The 's' at the end of 'temps' is silent, so don't pronounce it.
Pronouncing 'prend'
The 'd' at the end of 'prend' is silent, and the 'en' is a nasal vowel.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
how to ask how long a train takes in french
You can ask 'Combien de temps ça prend pour aller à [destination] ?' to inquire about travel time. This is useful for planning your train journeys.
combien de temps ca prend vs combien de temps ca prend
Both spellings are understood, but the correct French spelling uses 'ça' with a cedilla. This is the standard and preferred form.
how to ask how long something will take in future
To ask about the future, you can say 'Combien de temps cela prendra-t-il ?'. This uses the future tense and is a more formal way to ask.
