French · Greetings & Essentials
"When?" in French: quand ?
quand ?
When in French is quand. Quand arrives-tu ? means when are you arriving? As a conjunction, quand je serai prêt means when I'm ready. Lorsque is a more formal cousin.
Making plans
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How to pronounce quand ?
Say it
kahng
/kɑ̃/
Quand is kahng, nasal an. The d is usually silent. Before a vowel you may hear a light linking sound.
"When?" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| quand ? | when? Direct question. | Direct question. |
| quand est-ce que… ? | when… ? Spoken question form. | Spoken question form. |
| quand + clause | when (conjunction) Time clause. | Time clause. |
| lorsque | when / whenever More formal written style. | More formal written style. |
How to use quand ? in real life
- 1Making plans
Quand est-ce que tu es libre ?
When are you free?
Quand est-ce que in speech.
- 2Train schedule
Quand part le prochain train ?
When does the next train leave?
Quand + verb inversion.
- 3Condition of time
Appelle-moi quand tu arrives.
Call me when you arrive.
Quand as conjunction.
Mistakes English speakers make with quand ?
Incorrect: When tu viens ?
Correct: Quand tu viens ? / Quand est-ce que tu viens ?
Use quand, not when.
Incorrect: Quant es-tu libre ? (wrong word)
Correct: Quand es-tu libre ?
Quand means when; quant à means as for.
Good to know
Quand covers both the question when? and the conjunction when. Quant à is a different word meaning as for—easy to mix up in spelling.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Aligning schedules
ChatPal
Quand tu finis, on se retrouve ?
When you finish, shall we meet up?
You
Oui. Quand exactement, vers dix-huit heures ?
Yes. When exactly—around six?
ChatPal
Dix-huit heures trente, devant le métro.
Six-thirty, in front of the metro.
You
Noté.
Got it.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"When?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "When?" in French
How do you say when in French?
Quand.
How do I ask when are you free?
Quand est-ce que tu es libre ?
Is lorsque the same?
Similar as a conjunction; more formal than quand.
How do you pronounce quand?
Kahng (nasal an).
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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