French Phrase
Un taxi arrive dans cinq minutes.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that a taxi will be there in five minutes. It uses the present tense to refer to a very near future, a common French construction for events that are about to happen.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to inform someone—perhaps a friend, a hotel receptionist, or a colleague—that a taxi you’ve ordered is expected shortly. It works in both formal and informal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Untaxiarrivedanscinqminutes.
Un (indefinite article)
Used before a masculine singular noun to mean 'a' or 'one'.
taxi (noun, masculine)
A common loanword from English; gender is masculine in French.
arrive (verb arriver, 3rd pers. sing. present)
The present tense can express a near future event, similar to English 'is arriving'.
dans (preposition of time)
Introduces a time interval after which something will happen; equivalent to 'in' (time).
cinq (cardinal number)
The number five; stays the same in both cardinal and ordinal contexts.
minutes (plural noun)
Plural of 'minute'; used after a number greater than one.
🗨In Conversation
Un taxi arrive dans cinq minutes.
A taxi is arriving in five minutes.
Parfait, je l’attends à l’entrée.
Great, I’ll wait for it at the entrance.
✕Common Mistakes
Un taxi arrive en cinq minutes.
Use 'dans' for a future time interval; 'en' means 'within' or 'by' and changes the meaning.
Taxi arrive dans cinq minutes.
The noun needs an article; dropping 'un' makes the sentence sound incomplete.
Un taxi arrivera dans cinq minutes.
While grammatically correct, using the present 'arrive' sounds more natural for an event happening imminently.
↔Alternatives
Le taxi sera là dans cinq minutes.
The taxi will be there in five minutes.
Un taxi sera à nous dans cinq minutes.
A taxi will be ours in five minutes.
Le taxi arrive dans cinq minutes.
The taxi arrives in five minutes.
Cultural Tip
In French‑speaking countries, taxis are often called by the driver’s name (e.g., "Monsieur Dupont"). When you’re waiting, it’s polite to greet the driver with a "Bonjour" and confirm the destination. Also, French taxis usually charge by the kilometer plus a waiting time fee, so a short wait of five minutes is typically included in the fare.