In this workshop you practise asking about opening hours in French and understanding simple answers. You will use short, polite questions that work at a museum, a shop or a tourist office. Each native example comes from the recordings, so you can listen and repeat the exact sounds. You will start with a guided exchange, then check your understanding of a reply, and finally recall the right question for the right situation. Speak out loud as much as you can, and use the self-checks to see how you did.
Asking for the schedule
The most complete way to ask for opening hours is «Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?». It means 'What are the opening hours?' and it is polite and clear. Use it when you arrive at a ticket desk or information point and want the full schedule. If you already know the place you are talking about, you can ask a shorter question: «À quelle heure ça ouvre ?». This means 'What time does it open?' and it is very common in everyday speech. To ask about closing, use «À quelle heure ça ferme ?», which means 'What time does it close?' Notice that the two short questions are partners: one asks about opening, the other about closing. Before you travel, you can also check the day itself with «C'est ouvert aujourd'hui ?», which means 'Is it open today?' Practise each line slowly, then a little faster. Keep the melody light and let the question rise at the end.
Understanding a simple answer
When you ask about hours, the answer often gives a start time and an end time. In the recorded exchange, one speaker asks «Bonjour, quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?», which means 'Hello, what are the opening hours?' The other speaker answers with «Le musée est ouvert de 9 h à 18 h.», which means 'The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.' Listen for the two times: the opening time comes first, then the closing time. A follow-up question about the final moment to enter is «Et la dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?», which means 'And what time is last entry?' The answer is «La dernière entrée est à 17 h 15.», which means 'Last entry is at 5:15 p.m.' Last entry is not the same as closing time, so listen carefully. When you hear a reply, repeat the times silently to yourself, then say them out loud.
Choosing the right question
Different situations need different questions. If you want the whole schedule, use «Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?». If you only want to know when the place opens, use «À quelle heure ça ouvre ?». If you only want to know when it closes, use «À quelle heure ça ferme ?». If you are not sure whether the place is open on that day, use «C'est ouvert aujourd'hui ?». In a longer conversation, you can greet the person and then ask «Bonjour, quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?». If you need the final entry time, ask «Et la dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?». Try to match the question to your real need instead of using the same line every time. This makes your speaking more natural and shows that you are listening to the situation.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?
What are the opening hours?
kel son lay zorɛʁ doo-vehr-TUHR
À quelle heure ça ouvre ?
What time does it open?
ah kel UHR sah OO-vruh
À quelle heure ça ferme ?
What time does it close?
ah kel UHR sah FEHRM
C'est ouvert aujourd'hui ?
Is it open today?
say too-VEHR oh-zhoor-DWEE
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?
Hello, what are the opening hours?Le musée est ouvert de 9 h à 18 h.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Et la dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?
And what time is last entry?La dernière entrée est à 17 h 15.
Last entry is at 5:15 p.m.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange at the museum desk
Imagine you are at a museum ticket desk. You want the full opening hours, and then you want to know the last entry time. A staff member is ready to answer.
Your task: Say the greeting and the full schedule question from the recording: «Bonjour, quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?» Then ask the last entry question from the recording: «Et la dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?» After each line, pause and repeat it once more. If you can, play the recording and speak along with it.
Listen and choose the correct reply
You will hear or read a short answer about opening hours. Your job is to decide which question it answers. The possible questions are about the full schedule, the opening time, the closing time, or whether the place is open today.
Your task: Read the answer «Le musée est ouvert de 9 h à 18 h.» Then choose the question that fits best: «Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?», «À quelle heure ça ouvre ?», «À quelle heure ça ferme ?», or «C'est ouvert aujourd'hui ?» Say your chosen question out loud.
Recall the right question for each need
You have three different needs. First, you want the whole schedule. Second, you only want to know when the place opens. Third, you want to check whether the place is open today.
Your task: For each need, say the correct question from the recordings without looking at the text: «Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?», «À quelle heure ça ouvre ?», and «C'est ouvert aujourd'hui ?». Then say the question for last entry: «Et la dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?» After you finish, check your answers against the recording lines.
Common questions
Do I need to use the full schedule question every time?
No. «Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?» is useful when you want all the information at once. If you only need one detail, «À quelle heure ça ouvre ?» or «À quelle heure ça ferme ?» is enough. Choose the question that matches what you really want to know.
What is the difference between closing time and last entry?
Closing time is when the place closes. Last entry is the final moment when you can go in. They can be different, so listen for both. The recorded exchange shows a closing time of 18 h and a separate last entry time of 17 h 15.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask about opening hoursChecked September 2026
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