L'expression du temps / Expressing Time in French

Expressing Time in French

To express the idea of time, French uses different grammatical structures.You can:

• Place an action in a specific period (past, present, future) or chronology (before, during, after).

• Indicate the duration or frequency of an event.

• Mark the beginning or completion of an action.

1) In a simple sentence

A time expression (complément circonstanciel de temps) can take different forms:

• Noun phrase (groupe nominal) → Nous partons la semaine prochaine. (We are leaving next week.)

• Prepositional noun phrase (groupe nominal prépositionnel) → Nous partons dans deux semaines.(We are leaving in two weeks.)

• Infinitive phrase introduced by “avant de” / “après” → Il termine avant de sortir. (He finishes before going out.) → Après avoir fini, il sortit. (After finishing, he went out.)

• Pronoun introduced by “avant de” / “après” → Nous serons rentrés avant eux. (We will have come back before them.)

• Adverb of time → Ils s’exprimeront bientôt. (They will speak soon.)

• Present participle or gerund (participe présent / gérondif) → En partant, fermez la porte.(When leaving, close the door.)

2) In a complex sentence

A subordinate time clause (proposition subordonnée circonstancielle de temps) expresses anteriority, simultaneity, or posteriority compared to the main clause.

a) Anteriority (before)

Marked by avant que, en attendant que, jusqu’à ce que. The verb in the subordinate clause must be in the subjunctive.

• Mathias la perdit de vue avant qu’elle ne soit arrivée en bas.(Mathias lost sight of her before she had reached the bottom.)

• Avant qu’il parte, j’irai le voir.(Before he leaves, I will go see him.)

  
  

b) Simultaneity and Posteriority (while / after)

Marked by quand, lorsque, comme, pendant que, tandis que, en même temps que, tant que, alors que, après que, dès que, sitôt que, aussitôt que, depuis que, une fois que, au moment où. Here the verb is in the indicative.

• Quand le chat n’est pas là, les souris dansent. (When the cat is away, the mice dance.)

• Comme il me donnait cet avis, la cloche sonna le déjeuner. (As he was giving me this advice, the bell rang for lunch.)

• Nous fûmes replongés dans l’obscurité après que les bougies furent éteintes. (We were plunged back into darkness after the candles had been blown out.)

  
  

3) Other ways to express time

a) Coordination

Two independent clauses linked by et or by adverbs such as puis, ensuite indicate the succession of actions.

• Il s’expliqua, ensuite tout rentra dans l’ordre.(He explained himself, then everything went back to normal.)

b) Vocabulary of time

Words themselves can express time:

• passager (temporary), momentané (short-lived), transitoire (transitory)

• durable (lasting), éternel (eternal)

Useful vocabulary and expressions for frequency and time :