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How to Say ‘For how long?’ in French

Pendant combien de temps ?

pahn-DAHN kohm-BYAN duh tahn

[pahn-DAHN kohm-BYAN duh tahn]

💬 Usage Tip: Pendant means "for" when talking about a length of time, while pour usually doesn't. Answer with the same word: pendant deux ans.

Phrase Breakdown

Pendant

[pahn-DAHN]

for / during

Indicates a duration.

Example

Pendant une semaine.

For one week.

combien de temps ?

kohm-BYAN duh tahn

how long?

Literally 'how much time'. Say 'kon-byin d'tan', where the 'ps' in 'temps' is silent.

Example

Tu restes combien de temps ?

How long are you staying?

Words in this phrase

combien

[kohm-BYAN]

how much

Question word asking about price or quantity.

Example

Combien coûte ce tapis ?

How much does this mat cost?

[duh]

Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.

Example

Un verre de lait.

A glass of milk.

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

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.

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