A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "What time do you close" in French
Ask any shop or business in France what time they close with this essential phrase. Perfect for planning your day.
À quelle heure vous fermez ?
ah kel uhr voo fehr-MAYneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when you're at a shop, a restaurant, or any establishment that has opening and closing hours. It's polite to ask before they're about to close.
Alternatives
- À quelle heure vous fermez ?This is the standard and most common way to ask.
- Vous fermez à quelle heure ?Slightly more casual word order, but still perfectly fine.
- Tu fermes à quelle heure ?Use this only if you're speaking to someone you know well and would use 'tu' with.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'heure'
The 'h' in 'heure' is silent, so it sounds like 'eur'.
Forgetting the space before '?'
French punctuation rules require a space before question marks and exclamation points.
A small cultural note
In smaller towns or with very small shops, the owner might just tell you the time they're closing without you needing to ask, especially if it's late.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
how to ask what time a shop closes in french
Use 'À quelle heure vous fermez ?' to politely inquire about closing times. This works for most businesses.
what if i want to ask a friend what time they close
If you're speaking to a friend or someone younger, you can use the informal 'Tu fermes à quelle heure ?'. Always use 'tu' only when you're sure it's appropriate.
is there a difference between vous fermez and tu fermes
Yes, 'vous fermez' is the polite or plural form, used with strangers or groups, while 'tu fermes' is informal and used with one person you know well.
