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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" a set length of time that has an end. Compare depuis, which is for something still going on.

Phrase Breakdown

Pendant combien

pahn-DAHN kohm-BYAN

For how much

Both words have nasal vowels: 'pahn-dahn kon-byan'.

Example

Pendant combien de jours ?

For how many days?

Words in this phrase

Pendant

[pahn-DAHN]

for / during

Indicates a duration.

Example

Pendant une semaine.

For one week.

combien

[kohm-BYAN]

how much

Question word asking about price or quantity.

Example

Combien coûte ce tapis ?

How much does this mat cost?

de temps ?

duh tahn

time?

'Temps' is nasal, and the 'ps' is silent: 'duh tahn'.

Example

J'ai besoin de temps.

I need time.

Words in this phrase

[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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