French Phrase
Le spectacle, c'est à quelle heure ?
Meaning
This question asks for the start time of a performance, such as a theater play, concert, or any public show. It is informal and commonly used in everyday conversation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re chatting with friends, family, or colleagues about the schedule of a show and you want to know exactly when it begins. It’s perfect for casual settings like planning a night out or confirming tickets.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lespectacle,c'estàquelleheure?
Le (definite article)
Used before masculine singular nouns to specify a known item.
c'est (ce + est)
A contraction meaning "it is"; in spoken French it can introduce a question about time or location.
à (preposition for time)
Introduces the time at which something happens.
quelle (interrogative adjective)
Agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it matches the feminine noun "heure".
heure (noun, feminine)
Means "hour" or "time"; used with "quelle" to ask for a specific time.
Colloquial word order
Instead of the formal "À quelle heure est le spectacle ?", everyday speech often uses "Le spectacle, c'est à quelle heure ?".
🗨In Conversation
Le spectacle, c'est à quelle heure ?
What time is the show?
Il commence à 20h30.
It starts at 8:30 p.m.
✕Common Mistakes
Le spectacle, c'est à quel heure ?
"heure" is feminine, so the interrogative adjective must be "quelle".
C'est à quelle heure le spectacle ?
The natural spoken order places the noun first, then the question; the correct colloquial form is "Le spectacle, c'est à quelle heure ?".
Le spectacle, c'est à quelle heures ?
"Heure" is singular when asking for a specific time; do not add an "s".
↔Alternatives
À quelle heure commence le spectacle ?
At what time does the show start?
Quel est l'horaire du spectacle ?
What is the schedule for the show?
Le spectacle, il est à quelle heure ?
The show, what time is it?
Cultural Tip
In French, the construction "c'est à quelle heure ?" is very common in spoken language, especially among younger speakers. In more formal contexts—like a business email or a news broadcast—you’ll hear the inverted form "À quelle heure est le spectacle ?". Also, remember that "spectacle" can refer to any performance, so the same phrase works for theater, concerts, circus, or even a movie screening.