Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| pendant | /pɑ̃.dɑ̃/ |
| durant | /dy.ʁɑ̃/ |
| au cours de | /o kuʁ də/ |
All three French forms are used to express that something occurs for the duration of a given time interval.
Which one should you use?
pendant is the most common way to say 'during' or 'for' when referring to a duration of time. durant serves as a more formal or literary alternative. au cours de is a formal phrase often used to mean 'during' or 'in the course of' an event or process.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike pendant or durant, the phrase au cours de requires the preposition de, which may contract with articles, such as in au cours de la journée or au cours du match.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɑ̃.dɑ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use pour to express duration (for example, 'for two hours'), but in French, you should use pendant (for example, pendant deux heures).
Did you know?
- While pendant means 'during', it is also an adjective meaning 'hanging'. This comes from the Latin pendere, the same root used in the English word 'pendant' for jewelry.
- The French word pendant can be used as a noun to describe a counterpart or a matching piece in a pair of artworks.
- The phrase au cours de literally translates to 'at the run of'. It views time as a path or a race being run rather than a static block.
Examples in context
- Il plut durant la nuit.It rained during the night.This sentence uses durant.Tatoeba #1182798 by sacredceltic, translation #323990 by CK
- Il a neigé pendant la nuit.It snowed during the night.This sentence uses pendant.Tatoeba #10769910 by lbdx, translation #10759025 by ddnktr
- Il crie pendant le discours.He shouts during the speech!Tatoeba #12050946 by Rovo, translation #12050803 by carlosalberto
- Pendant la réunion, nous avons discuté des résultats.During the meeting, we discussed the results.
- Je lisais un livre pendant que la pluie tombait.I was reading a book while it was raining.
- Durant l'événement, de nombreux invités sont arrivés.During the event, many guests arrived.
- Les enfants ont été sages durant tout le voyage.The children were well-behaved throughout the entire trip.
- Pendant la fête, on a dansé toute la nuit !During the party, we danced all night long!
- J'ai appris beaucoup de choses pendant mon voyage à Paris.I learned a lot of things during my trip to Paris.
- J'ai rencontré Pierre en visitant Londres.I met Pierre while visiting London.
- Pendant ce temps-làMeanwhile
- 326 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking about a recent movie at a cafe.
- EmmaIl a plu pendant tout le film.It rained during the whole movie.
- LucasC'est vrai, j'ai détesté ça.It's true, I hated that.
- EmmaLucas, tu as dormi pendant la séance ?Lucas, did you sleep during the screening?
- LucasNon, j'étais très attentif.No, I was very attentive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “during” translations and entries pendant, durant, au cours de, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
