French Phrase
Pardon, ça va encore prendre combien de temps pour nos plats ?
Meaning
This phrase is a polite way to inquire about the waiting time for food in a restaurant. It literally translates to 'Pardon, it's still going to take how much time for our dishes?'. The 'encore' (still/again) emphasizes that some time has already passed.
When to use
You would use this phrase in a restaurant setting when you've been waiting for your food for a while and want to politely ask the waiter or waitress for an update on its arrival. It's suitable when you're starting to feel impatient but want to maintain a respectful tone.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Pardon, ça va encore prendre combien de temps pour nos plats ?
Pardon
This is a versatile word meaning 'excuse me' or 'sorry'. It's used here to politely get someone's attention before asking a question.
Ça va prendre
This is a common idiomatic expression meaning 'it will take'. It uses the informal 'ça' (it) and the present tense of 'aller' (to go) followed by an infinitive to express the near future.
Encore
Meaning 'still' or 'again', 'encore' here implies that time has already passed and the speaker is asking about the remaining duration. It adds a nuance of 'how much *more* time'.
Combien de temps
This phrase directly translates to 'how much time' and is used to inquire about duration. It's a standard way to ask about the length of an event or process.
Pour nos plats
'Pour' means 'for', and 'nos plats' means 'our dishes'. This specifies what the waiting time refers to, making the question clear and complete.
🗨In Conversation
Pardon, ça va encore prendre combien de temps pour nos plats ?
Excuse me, how much longer will it take for our dishes?
Je vérifie tout de suite pour vous, ils devraient arriver dans cinq minutes.
I'll check for you right away, they should arrive in five minutes.
✕Common Mistakes
Excusez-moi, combien de temps pour nos plats?
While understandable, this is a bit too direct and lacks the natural flow and politeness of 'ça va prendre'. It sounds like a truncated question.
Pardon, nos plats vont prendre combien de temps?
Using 'vont prendre' is grammatically correct but less common in this specific context than the more idiomatic 'ça va prendre' for general future actions or durations.
Pardon, quand est-ce que nos plats arrivent?
This asks 'when' rather than 'how much longer', which is a slightly different nuance. It's less about the duration and more about the exact moment, which might be harder for the staff to answer precisely.
↔Alternatives
Excusez-moi, nos plats arrivent bientôt ?
Excuse me, are our dishes arriving soon?
Pardon, est-ce que vous savez où en sont nos plats ?
Excuse me, do you know the status of our dishes?
On attend nos plats depuis un moment, est-ce que ça va être long ?
We've been waiting for our dishes for a while, is it going to be long?
Cultural Tip
In French dining, it's generally considered polite to wait a reasonable amount of time before inquiring about your food. Avoid asking too soon after ordering. When you do ask, maintain a polite and patient tone. French service can sometimes be slower than in other cultures, as dining is often seen as a leisurely experience. A direct or demanding tone can be perceived as rude.