French Phrase
Ça dure combien, le bail ?
Meaning
Literally, ‘How long does it last, the lease?’ In everyday French this is the informal way to ask about the length of a rental agreement, i.e., the number of months or years the lease will be in effect.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re chatting with a landlord, a roommate, or a friend about a rental situation and you want a quick, informal answer. It’s perfect for phone calls, casual meetings, or text messages, but avoid it in formal written correspondence.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çadurecombienlebail?
Ça (informal subject)
‘Ça’ is the informal spoken form of ‘cela’, used as the subject pronoun for ‘it/that’ in casual conversation.
durer (present tense)
The verb ‘durer’ means ‘to last’. In the present tense, the third‑person singular form is ‘dure’.
combien (question of amount/duration)
When asking about duration, French often places ‘combien’ after the verb, especially in spoken language, e.g., ‘Ça dure combien ?’
le bail (noun phrase)
‘Le bail’ is the rental contract or lease. It is a masculine noun, so the article ‘le’ is used.
question punctuation
In spoken French the intonation rises at the end; in writing the whole sentence ends with a question mark.
🗨In Conversation
Ça dure combien, le bail ?
How long does the lease last?
Il est de 12 mois, renouvelable chaque année.
It’s for 12 months, renewable each year.
✕Common Mistakes
Ça dure combien le bail ?
Missing the pause/comma after ‘combien’; native speakers usually insert a brief pause or a comma to separate the question from the noun.
Combien le bail dure ?
Word order is awkward in spoken French; the natural order is ‘Ça dure combien, le bail ?’ or ‘Combien de temps dure le bail ?’.
Ça dure combien, le bail, s’il vous plaît ?
Mixing informal ‘ça’ with the very formal ‘s’il vous plaît’ sounds inconsistent. Stick to one register.
↔Alternatives
Quelle est la durée du bail ?
What is the duration of the lease?
Le bail, c’est pour combien de temps ?
The lease, how long is it for?
Combien de temps dure le bail ?
How many months does the lease last?
Cultural Tip
In French real‑estate talk, ‘bail’ always refers to the written contract, not just the act of renting. The phrase ‘Ça dure combien, le bail ?’ is very colloquial; in a formal email to a landlord you’d use ‘Quelle est la durée du bail ?’. Also, remember that ‘combien’ alone can sound a bit abrupt; adding ‘de temps’ (combien de temps) makes it clearer, especially for non‑native speakers.