What does it mean word for word?
The phrase À quelle heure fermez-vous ? literally means "At what hour do you close?" and is composed of À (at), quelle (which), heure (hour), fermez (close – 2nd person plural/formal) and vous (you).
Which one should you use?
While À quelle heure fermez-vous ? asks for a specific clock time, Quand est-ce que vous fermez ? translates to "When do you close?" and can also be used to ask about closing time. In spoken French, it is very common to use a statement structure with rising intonation, such as Vous fermez à quelle heure ?, which means "You close at what time?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
À quelle heure fermez-vous ? and Quand est-ce que vous fermez ? are both formal ways to ask the question. À quelle heure tu fermes ? is an informal way to ask. In casual spoken French, the structure Vous fermez à quelle heure ? is considered colloquial.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a single person you know well, such as a shopkeeper you are on a first-name basis with, you can use the informal À quelle heure tu fermes ? form.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use Quand fermez-vous ? to mean "When do you close?" While this is grammatically correct, À quelle heure is more natural in French when you are specifically looking for a precise clock time.
Did you know?
- In France, many shops close for a few hours in the middle of the day to reopen in the late afternoon. This means if you ask À quelle heure fermez-vous ? in the morning, they might reply with a time that occurs much earlier than you expect.
- The word heure descends from the Ancient Greek word hṓra, which originally referred to a 'season' or 'year' rather than a specific hour of the day.
- While the phrase asks about closing, a French speaker might reply with C'est fermé, meaning 'It is closed', even if the business is only closing for a short break.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, à quelle heure fermez-vous ?Hello, what time do you close?
- Bonjour, quand est-ce que vous fermez ?Hello, when do you close?
- Salut, à quelle heure tu fermes ?Hi, what time do you close?
Example conversation
Chloé is calling a small bookstore to check its hours.
- ChloéBonjour, à quelle heure fermez-vous ?Hello, what time do you close?
- GabrielNous fermons à dix-huit heures, Madame.We close at 6 p.m., Ma'am.
- ChloéD'accord, merci beaucoup.Okay, thank you very much.
- GabrielJe vous en prie, au revoir.You're welcome, goodbye.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heure, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
