French Phrase
Ta pause déjeuner, c'est à quelle heure ?
Meaning
You’re asking a friend or colleague what time their lunch break starts. The tone is casual and the sentence is built around the common expression "à quelle heure".
When to use
Use this sentence in informal settings—among friends, classmates, or coworkers you know well. It’s not appropriate for formal business meetings or when speaking to a superior you don’t know personally.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tapausedéjeuner,c'estàquelleheure?
Possessive adjective
"Ta" agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (here, "pause" is feminine singular).
Compound noun
"pause déjeuner" is a fixed expression meaning “lunch break”.
c'est
"c'est" is the contraction of "ce + est" and is used here to introduce a question about a fact.
à quelle heure
The set phrase "à quelle heure" literally means “at what hour” and is the standard way to ask for a time.
No inversion
Instead of inverting the verb and subject, French often uses the structure "c'est + à + question word" for informal time questions.
🗨In Conversation
Ta pause déjeuner, c'est à quelle heure ?
When is your lunch break?
Vers midi et quart, je sors à 12h15.
Around quarter past twelve, I leave at 12:15.
✕Common Mistakes
Ta pause déjeuner, c'est à quel heure ?
"Quel" is masculine; because "heure" is feminine you must use "quelle".
Ta pause déjeuner, c'est à quelle heure ? (in a formal email)
In formal contexts you would use inversion: "À quelle heure est ta pause déjeuner ?"
Ta pause lunch, c'est à quelle heure ?
Do not translate literally as "pause lunch"; keep the fixed expression "pause déjeuner".
↔Alternatives
À quelle heure est ta pause déjeuner ?
At what time is your lunch break?
Quand est ta pause déjeuner ?
When is your lunch break?
Ta pause déjeuner, c’est quand ?
Your lunch break, when is it?
Cultural Tip
In France, the typical lunch break (pause déjeuner) for many workers and students runs from about 12 h to 14 h, but the exact hour can vary by company, region, and personal schedule. In larger cities, people often eat a quick sandwich around 12 h, while in smaller towns a longer, sit‑down meal is common. Asking about the exact time shows you respect the other person’s schedule, especially if you need to coordinate a meeting or a shared activity.