French Phrase
La boutique duty‑free ouvre à 6h du matin.
Meaning
The sentence tells a listener that the duty‑free shop opens at six o’clock in the morning. It is a typical way to give opening‑hour information, especially in travel contexts such as airports or border crossings.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to inform a fellow traveler, a concierge, or airport staff about the opening time of a duty‑free shop. It works well in announcements, signage, or casual conversation at the airport.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Laboutiqueduty-freeouvreà6hdumatin
Definite article (La)
The feminine singular article 'la' agrees with the noun 'boutique', which is feminine.
Noun (boutique)
Boutique means 'shop' and is a feminine noun; it can be used for small, specialized stores.
Loanword (duty‑free)
‘duty‑free’ is an English loan phrase kept unchanged in French; it functions as an adjective placed after the noun.
Verb (ouvre)
‘ouvre’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘ouvrir’ (to open).
Preposition of time (à)
‘à’ introduces a specific time when something happens.
Time expression (6h du matin)
‘6h du matin’ literally means ‘6 o’clock in the morning’; the hour is written with the abbreviation ‘h’ for ‘heure’.
🗨In Conversation
Excusez‑moi, à quelle heure ouvre la boutique duty‑free ?
Excuse me, what time does the duty‑free shop open?
Elle ouvre à 6h du matin, avant le premier vol.
It opens at 6 a.m., before the first flight.
✕Common Mistakes
Le boutique duty‑free ouvre à 6h du matin.
‘Boutique’ is feminine; the correct article is ‘la’.
La boutique duty free ouvre à 6h du matin.
The loanword should be hyphenated as ‘duty‑free’ in French writing.
La boutique duty‑free ouvre à 6h du soir.
‘du soir’ means ‘in the evening’; for a morning opening use ‘du matin’.
↔Alternatives
La boutique hors taxes ouvre à six heures du matin.
The tax‑free shop opens at six in the morning.
Le magasin duty‑free ouvre à 6h du matin.
The duty‑free store opens at 6 a.m.
Le duty‑free ouvre à six heures du matin.
The duty‑free opens at six o’clock in the morning.
Cultural Tip
Duty‑free shops are a staple of French airports such as CDG and Orly, offering perfumes, wines, and luxury goods without VAT. The term ‘duty‑free’ is used as a noun phrase and stays in English, but you’ll also hear ‘hors taxes’ in more formal French. Opening times can vary by terminal, so it’s always good to double‑check the schedule on the airport’s website.