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Time Questions — Questions sur la date et le temps by Dawn-Michelle Baude, Ph.D.

Asking questions about the time, the day, the date, and the weather in French is like asking questions in English. You use a question word like “what” or “when.” You need a verb for “is” and then you need your time words, like “hour” or “year.” And you ask for the same information, “what time is it?” French kids ask that question just as much as you do, only they say it like this, Quelle heure est-il?

Question Words — Les mots des questions

To learn how to ask time questions in French, let's begin by looking at the question words you'll need:

<tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <thead> <row rowsep="1"> <td><p>English</p></td> <td><p>French</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>when?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quand?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>what?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quel, quelle?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>how much?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>combien?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>Next, put the question words with your time word, such as <emphasis>heure</emphasis> and <emphasis>jour</emphasis>. Then add a couple of linking words, and you've got some great time questions. Here they are:</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <thead> <row rowsep="1"> <td><p>English</p></td> <td><p>French</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>What time is it?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quelle heure est-il?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>At what time?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>A quelle heure?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Do you have the time?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Est-ce que tu as l'heure?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>What is the weather like?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quel temps fait-il?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>What day is it?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quel jour est-ce?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>When is vacation?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quand est-ce que ce sont les vacances?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>When is your anniversary?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quand est-ce que c'est ton anniversaire?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>What is the date today?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quelle est la date d'aujourd'hui?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>What is the date today?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Nous sommes le combien?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>How many hours?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Combien d'heures?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>How many days?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Combien de jours?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>How many months?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Combien de mois?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>How many years?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Combien d'années?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>What holiday is it?</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Quelle fête est-ce?</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <div class="npsb"> <tip> <h2>IMPORTANT TIPS <emphasis>TRUCS IMPORTANTS</emphasis><inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="!.jpg" format="JPG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></h2> <p>Don't forget to invert your subject and verb in a question, just like you do in English. You say, “what is it?” not “what it is?” The same thing in French. Say <emphasis>Quelle heure est-il</emphasis>? “What time is it?” not <emphasis>Quelle heure il est</emphasis>?, or “what time it is”!</p> </tip> </div> <div class="npsb"> <h2> FUN FACTS <emphasis>Pour s'amuser</emphasis></h2> <p>French kids sing “Happy Birthday” too — but they say <emphasis>Bon anniversaire</emphasis>. When the birthday boy or girl speaks French and English, he or she sings the song in both languages.</p> </div> <div class="npsb"> <h2>Joyeux Anniversaire</h2> <p>The twins are having a birthday party. Can you see the 8 differences?</p> <div class="npsb"> <h2><emphasis>Let them eat cake!</emphasis></h2> <p>These words are attributed to Marie Antoinette, the Queen to Louis XVI, when the people of France had no bread to eat. But nobody really knows who said this. Marie was only 10 years old at the time the words were spoken.</p> <div class="npmo"><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/np/kids-french/p26-001.jpg"></div> </div> </div> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/holidays-and-birthdays-ftes-et-anniversaires.htm" title="Holidays and Birthdays — Fêtes et anniversaires">Holidays and Birthdays — Fêtes et anniversaires</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/" title="All About Me — Tout sur moi">All About Me — Tout sur moi</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/time-questions-questions-sur-la-date-et-le-temps.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Time Questions — Questions sur la date et le temps - French for ... </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/weather-le-temps.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Weather — Le temps - French for Kids </a></li> <li><a href="http://french.about.com/library/motdujour/bl_motdujour_tips.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Mot du jour - Getting the most out of the French word of the day </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/parts-of-the-days-and-year-les-moments-de-la-journe-et-de-lanne.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Parts of the Days and Year — Les moments de la journée et d... </a></li> <li><a href="http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/tellingtime.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Telling Time in French - How to Tell Time in French </a></li> </ul></div> <div id="sec"><div class="n5">Read More Time and Dates — L'heure et les dates</div><ul><ul class="col1"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/telling-time-disons-lheure.htm">Telling Time — Disons l'heure</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/asking-about-time-demander-lheure.htm">Asking about Time — Demander l´heure</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/days-months-and-years-les-jours-les-mois-et-les-annes.htm">Days, Months, and Years — Les jours, les mois, et les années</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/what-is-todays-date-quelle-est-la-date-daujourdhui.htm">What Is Today's Date? — Quelle est la date d'aujourd'hui?</a></li> </ul><ul class="col2"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/parts-of-the-days-and-year-les-moments-de-la-journe-et-de-lanne.htm">Parts of the Days and Year — Les moments de la journée et de l'année</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/weather-le-temps.htm">Weather — Le temps</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/holidays-and-birthdays-ftes-et-anniversaires.htm">Holidays and Birthdays — Fêtes et anniversaires</a></li> <li class="btO">Time Questions — Questions sur la date et le temps</li> </ul></ul></div> </div> <script>if(zSbL<1)zSbL=3;zSB(2);zSbL=0</script> </div> <div id="widgets"><script type="text/javascript">if(z336>0){w('<div id="adB">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('</div>')}if(z155>0){w('<div id="adP">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,155,'1','ps',4);w('</div>')}</script> <div id="pg" class="pane"><div class="n3">Shopping</div><div class="cntnr"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book"><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/np/kids-french/Cover.jpg"></a><h4><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book">THE EVERYTHING KIDS' LEARNING FRENCH BOOK</a></h4><p><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book">By Dawn-Michelle Baude, Ph.D.</a></p><div id="fp"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book">Buy This Book</a></div></div></div> <div id="toc" class="pane"><div class="n3">French for Kids Sections</div><ul><li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/lets-get-started-allons-y/">Let's Get Started! — Allons-y!</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/">Time and Dates — L'heure et les dates</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/">All About Me — Tout sur moi</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/social-life-la-vie-sociale/">Social Life — La vie sociale</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/what-should-we-do-quest-ce-quon-va-faire/">What Should We do? 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