How to Ask 'How Long Does It Take?' in French: Duration with 'prendre' and 'mettre'
Learn to ask how long something takes in French using 'prendre' and 'mettre', with time expressions like 'une heure' and 'deux jours'.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Asking how long something takes is a common need when you're traveling, making plans, or managing your time in a French-speaking environment. In this lesson, you'll learn two essential verbs for expressing duration: 'prendre' (to take) and 'mettre' (to take/put). You'll also practice time expressions such as 'une heure' (an hour), 'deux jours' (two days), and 'combien de temps' (how much time). By the end, you'll be able to ask and answer questions about duration accurately.
By the end, you can…
- ask how long something takes using 'Combien de temps' with 'prendre' or 'mettre'.
- understand and use common time expressions for duration in French.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Combien de temps est-ce que ça prend ?
How long does it take?
kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃ ɛs.kə sa pʁɑ̃
Standard, neutral way to ask about duration. 'Ça' refers to a task or activity. In informal speech, you may hear 'Combien de temps ça prend ?' without 'est-ce que'.
Ça prend une heure.
It takes one hour.
sa pʁɑ̃ yn œʁ
Use 'prendre' for the duration of an activity. 'Une heure' means one hour. For minutes, say 'minutes' (mee-newt).
Je mets deux jours.
I take two days. / It takes me two days.
ʒə mɛ dø ʒuʁ
'Mettre' is used for personal duration, often with 'je' or 'tu'. It literally means 'I put', but in this context it means 'I take'. The expression is 'mettre [duration]'.
Combien de temps tu mets ?
How long do you take?
kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃ ty mɛ
Informal question using 'tu' and 'mettre'. In more formal situations, use 'Combien de temps mettez-vous ?' (kohm-bya(n) duh tah(n) meh-tay-voo).
Ça prend combien de temps ?
How long does it take?
sa pʁɑ̃ kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃
Alternative word order, very common in spoken French. The question word 'combien de temps' comes at the end.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask about duration, use 'Combien de temps' (how much time) with either 'prendre' or 'mettre'. 'Prendre' is used when the subject is the activity or thing: 'Ça prend une heure' (It takes an hour). 'Mettre' is used when the subject is a person: 'Je mets une heure' (I take an hour). Both verbs are irregular. 'Prendre' conjugation: je prends, tu prends, il/elle prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils/elles prennent. 'Mettre': je mets, tu mets, il/elle met, nous mettons, vous mettez, ils/elles mettent. Note that 'prendre' can also mean 'to take' as in 'to grab', but with duration it means 'to take time'.
When to use it
Use 'prendre' when you want to state how long an activity or process takes, often with 'ça' (it) or a noun: 'Le trajet prend 30 minutes' (The journey takes 30 minutes). Use 'mettre' when you want to say how long you or someone else takes to do something: 'Je mets 30 minutes pour aller au travail' (I take 30 minutes to get to work). In informal French, 'mettre' is very common with 'tu' and 'je'. For polite questions, use 'vous' with either verb: 'Combien de temps prenez-vous ?' or 'Combien de temps mettez-vous ?'. Time expressions: 'une minute', 'une heure', 'un jour', 'une semaine', 'un mois', 'un an'. For plural, add 's': 'deux heures', 'trois jours'. Note: the plural of 'un an' is 'deux ans'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Combien de temps est-ce que ça prend pour aller à la gare ?
How long does it take to get to the train station?kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃ ɛs.kə sa pʁɑ̃ puʁ a.le a la ɡaʁÇa prend environ vingt minutes à pied.
It takes about twenty minutes on foot.sa pʁɑ̃ ɑ̃.vi.ʁɔ̃ vɛ̃ mi.nyt a pjeEt en bus, combien de temps tu mets ?
And by bus, how long do you take?e ɑ̃ bys, kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃ ty mɛJe mets dix minutes, mais il faut attendre le bus.
I take ten minutes, but you have to wait for the bus.ʒə mɛ di mi.nyt, mɛ il fo a.tɑ̃dʁ lə bysA little context goes a long way
In France, 'prendre' is common in impersonal statements about duration, while 'mettre' is frequent in personal statements. In Quebec, 'prendre' is also used, and 'ça prend' is heard often. In formal writing, 'prendre' is generally preferred. When asking a stranger, use 'vous' and 'est-ce que' for politeness. Avoid using 'mettre' for objects; it would sound like you are physically placing them.
One thing to watch for
Using 'prendre' with a person as the subject, e.g., 'Je prends une heure' to mean 'I take an hour'.
Try this instead: Use 'mettre' when the subject is a person: 'Je mets une heure'. 'Prendre' is used when the subject is the activity or thing: 'Ça prend une heure'. However, 'Je prends une heure' can mean 'I take an hour' in the sense of allocating time, but it's less common for duration of a task. Stick to 'mettre' for personal duration.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you ask 'How long does it take?' using 'prendre' and 'ça'?
Show a sample answer
Combien de temps est-ce que ça prend ?
This is a standard way. You could also say 'Ça prend combien de temps ?' or 'Combien de temps ça prend ?' in informal speech.
2Translate: 'I take two hours.' Use 'mettre'.
Show a sample answer
Je mets deux heures.
The verb 'mettre' is used with 'je' to indicate personal duration. 'Deux heures' means two hours. Note that 'heures' is plural, so add 's'.
3What is the difference between 'Ça prend une heure' and 'Je mets une heure'?
Show a sample answer
The first means 'It takes an hour' (the activity takes an hour), and the second means 'I take an hour' (I spend an hour).
The choice depends on the subject: 'prendre' for things/activities, 'mettre' for people. Both are correct in their contexts.
Remember: use 'prendre' for things (ça prend) and 'mettre' for people (je mets). Ask 'Combien de temps ?' to find out duration.
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