📁🚀❓🕰️

How to Say ‘When does the project start, exactly?’ in French

Le projet commence quand, exactement ?

luh proh-ZHEH koh-MAHNSS kahn eg-zakt-mahn

[luh proh-ZHEH koh-MAHNSS kahn eg-zakt-mahn]

💬 Usage Tip: In everyday speech the question word often goes at the end, with rising intonation. Try the same pattern with another question word: Tu pars quand ? "When are you leaving?"

Phrase Breakdown

Le projet commence quand,

luh proh-ZHEH koh-MAHNSS kahn

The project starts when,

Casual spoken French often puts the question word 'quand' at the end. The 't' in 'projet' and the 'd' in 'quand' are silent.

Example

Le cours commence quand ?

When does the class start?

Words in this phrase

[luh]

the

Used as a function word to indicate a noun and to mark the noun as definite.

Example

Le chat noir.

The black cat.

projet

[proh-ZHEH]

project

Masculine noun for a planned piece of work.

Example

Ce projet est important.

This project is important.

commence

[koh-MAHNSS]

starts

Form of 'commencer', to begin.

Example

Le film commence bientôt.

The film starts soon.

quand

[kahn]

when

Question word asking about time; can go at the end in casual speech.

Example

Tu arrives quand ?

When are you arriving?

exactement ?

eg-zakt-mahn

exactly?

Say it 'eg-zak-te-man', with a nasal ending and rising intonation for the question.

Example

Il est quelle heure, exactement ?

What time is it, exactly?

Words in this phrase

exactement

[eg-zakt-mahn]

exactly

Used to show strong agreement or precision.

Example

C'est exactement la réponse qu'on peut donner au sujet d'une culture idéale.

"That's exactly" the answer one can give about an ideal culture.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer