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How to Say ‘You wouldn't have anything a little earlier, around 8 pm?’ in French

Vous n'auriez rien d'un peu plus tôt, vers 20 h ?

voo oh-RYAY ree-en dee toh vair van URR

[voo oh-RYAY ree-en dee toh vair van URR]

💬 Usage Tip: After rien, a description needs de: rien d'un peu plus tôt, rien de libre "nothing free".

Phrase Breakdown

Vous n'auriez rien

voo oh-RYAY ree-en

Wouldn't you have anything

A polite conditional. Say 'vou no-rié rien'.

Example

Vous n'auriez rien pour ce soir ?

Wouldn't you have anything for tonight?

Words in this phrase

Vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

auriez

[oh-RYAY]

would have

Conditional of avoir, polite 'you' form.

Example

Vous auriez du feu ?

Would you have a light?

rien

[ree-en]

nothing

Not anything; no single thing.

Example

Il n'y a rien ici.

There is nothing here.

d'un peu plus tôt,

dee toh

a little earlier,

After 'rien', French uses 'de' before the description, so 'de un' becomes 'd'un'. Say 'dun peu plu tô'.

Example

Rien d'un peu plus simple ?

Nothing a bit simpler?

Words in this phrase

[dee]

Used to indicate possession or connection.

Example

Le livre d'un ami.

The book of a friend.

peu

plus

tôt

[toh]

early

Adverb meaning at an early time.

Example

Je me lève tôt.

I get up early.

vers 20 h ?

vair van URR

around 8 pm?

Say 'vèr vin-t-heures?' with your voice rising at the end of the question.

Example

On dîne vers 20 h ?

Shall we have dinner around 8 pm?

Words in this phrase

vers

[vair]

around / towards

With times, means 'approximately at'.

Example

Je passerai vers midi.

I'll come by around noon.

[van]

twenty

Number; with h it means 8 p.m.

Example

Je réserve pour 20 h.

I'm booking for 8 p.m.

[URR]

o'clock (hours)

Abbreviation of « heure(s) » used when writing times.

Example

Rendez-vous à 9 h.

Meet at 9 o'clock.

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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