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How to Say ‘To spend time’ in French

Passer du temps

pah-SAY dew tahn

[pah-SAY dew tahn]

💬 Usage Tip: Du temps means "some time", and the du can't be dropped the way English drops "some". Swap in other things you spend: passer du temps avec ses amis "to spend time with one's friends".

Phrase Breakdown

Passer

[pah-SAY]

to spend (time)

Infinitive verb; with 'du temps' it means to spend time.

Example

J'aime passer le week-end à Paris.

I like spending the weekend in Paris.

[dew]

some (partitive)

Partitive article used with activities after 'faire'.

Example

Il fait du vélo.

He goes cycling.

temps

[tahn]

time

Masculine noun for time; also means weather.

Example

Je n'ai pas le temps.

I don't have time.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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