French Phrase
Ça va durer combien, l'entretien ?
Meaning
Literally: 'How long is it going to last, the interview?' It is a casual way to ask the expected duration of an interview or meeting.
When to use
Use this sentence right before a job interview, a medical appointment, or any scheduled meeting when you want to know how much time you should set aside. It’s informal, so it works best with people you already have a relaxed rapport with.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çavadurercombien,l'entretien?
Ça
Informal pronoun meaning 'it' or 'this', often used to start a question in spoken French.
va + infinitive
The near‑future construction; 'va' (from aller) + infinitive expresses something that is about to happen.
durer
Infinitive verb meaning 'to last'. In the near‑future construction it stays in the infinitive.
combien
Interrogative adverb meaning 'how much/how many'. When asking about time it can stand alone, but adding 'de temps' is more formal.
l'entretien
Masculine noun meaning 'the interview' or 'the meeting', preceded by the definite article l'.
🗨In Conversation
Ça va durer combien, l'entretien ?
How long will the interview last?
Environ trente minutes, mais ça peut aller jusqu'à une heure.
About thirty minutes, but it can go up to an hour.
✕Common Mistakes
Ça va duré combien, l'entretien ?
The verb should stay in the infinitive after "va"; "duré" is the past participle and is incorrect here.
Ça va durer combien de minutes, l'entretien ?
While "combien de" is not wrong, many learners add an unnecessary noun after "combien" (e.g., "combien de minutes") which makes the sentence sound clunky in spoken French.
Ça va durer combien, entretien ?
Dropping the article changes the meaning; "entretien" alone sounds like a verb form. Keep the definite article "l'".
↔Alternatives
L'entretien va durer combien de temps ?
How long will the interview last?
Combien de temps va durer l'entretien ?
How much time will the interview take?
Quelle sera la durée de l'entretien ?
What will be the duration of the interview?
Cultural Tip
In French, the informal "Ça va" construction is common among friends, colleagues, or when the atmosphere is relaxed. In a very formal setting (e.g., a senior executive interview), you might prefer a more polite formulation such as "Pourriez‑vous m'indiquer la durée prévue de l'entretien ?" Also, note that French speakers often add "de temps" after "combien" for extra clarity, especially in written or formal speech.