A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "What time does it close" in French
Ask when a shop, museum, or attraction closes in France with this simple, direct question.
À quelle heure ça ferme ?
ah kel EHR sah FEHRMneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when you're approaching a shop, museum, or any establishment to find out its closing time. It's perfect for planning your visit or making sure you don't arrive too late.
Alternatives
- Vous fermez à quelle heure ?More direct, addressing the person you're speaking to.
- C'est fermé à quelle heure ?Slightly more informal, focusing on the establishment itself.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'heure'
The 'h' in 'heure' is silent, so it sounds like 'ehr', not 'hay-oo-ruh'.
Forgetting the liaison
In 'à quelle', the 'le' sound links to 'heure', making it sound like 'kel-ehr'.
A small cultural note
While this phrase is perfectly understood everywhere, younger French speakers might sometimes use 'Il ferme quand ?' which is a bit more casual.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
how to ask closing time in french
The most common way is 'À quelle heure ça ferme ?' This directly asks about the closing time of the place you're interested in.
difference between ça ferme and vous fermez
'Ça ferme' refers to the establishment itself closing, while 'vous fermez' directly addresses the person you're speaking to. Both are polite and widely understood.
what if i want to ask when it opens
To ask when it opens, you would say 'À quelle heure ça ouvre ?' (ah kel EHR sah OO-vruh).
