French Phrase
Ça prend combien de temps?
Meaning
Literally, “It takes how much time?” – the everyday way to ask how long something will take, whether it’s a task, a journey, a cooking recipe, or a waiting period.
When to use
Use this informal question in casual conversation with friends, colleagues, or service staff when you need to know the duration of an activity. It’s perfect for travel plans, cooking instructions, appointments, or any situation where timing matters.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çaprendcombiendetemps?
Ça (demonstrative pronoun)
‘Ça’ is the informal form of ‘cela’, meaning ‘it’ or ‘that’, used here as the subject of the verb.
prend (verb prendre)
‘prend’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘prendre’ (to take), meaning ‘takes’ in this context.
combien de (quantity expression)
‘combien de’ introduces a question about quantity or amount; it must be followed by a noun.
temps (noun)
‘temps’ means ‘time’; together with ‘combien de’ it asks about duration.
🗨In Conversation
Ça prend combien de temps pour arriver à la gare?
How long does it take to get to the station?
Environ vingt minutes en métro.
About twenty minutes by subway.
✕Common Mistakes
Ça prend combien du temps?
‘du’ is incorrect after ‘combien’; the proper partitive is ‘de’.
Ça prend combien le temps?
The noun must follow ‘de’; ‘le temps’ changes the meaning to ‘the time’ rather than ‘duration’.
Combien de temps ça prend?
While understandable, the most natural spoken order is ‘Ça prend combien de temps?’. The reversed order sounds slightly more formal or literary.
↔Alternatives
Combien de temps cela prend‑il ?
How much time does it take? (more formal)
C’est combien de temps ?
How long is it? (very colloquial)
Quel est le délai ?
What is the time frame? (formal, often for projects)
Cultural Tip
In spoken French, ‘Ça prend combien de temps?’ is the go‑to phrase for asking about duration. In written or formal contexts, replace ‘ça’ with ‘cela’ or use the inversion ‘Combien de temps cela prend‑il ?’. Also, avoid adding an extra ‘du’ (e.g., *combien du temps*) – the correct construction is ‘combien de temps’.