Pendant is likely the first word you learned to say "during" in French. But did you know there are many other ways to express this common concept? Mastering how to talk about things happening "during" a specific time or event is essential for fluent conversation and clear expression in French. Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "during" in French, so you can choose the perfect word for any situation!

Pendant: The most common and versatile way to say 'during'

When you want to express the idea of 'during' in French, pendant is your go-to word. It's by far the most common and versatile option you'll encounter and use.

Pendant functions as a preposition, indicating the duration of an action or event. It literally translates to 'during' or 'for a period of time'.

Its primary use is to specify how long something lasts. You'll often see it followed by a period of time or an event, clearly marking the timeframe of an action.

While durant also means 'during' and is grammatically correct, pendant is significantly more common in everyday French. Durant tends to sound a bit more formal or literary, so stick with pendant for most situations.

Pendant can be used in almost any context where you'd use 'during' or 'for' (when referring to duration) in English, from simple daily activities to longer historical periods, making it incredibly flexible.

It typically precedes the noun or phrase indicating the duration. For example, pendant les vacances (during the holidays) or pendant la réunion (during the meeting) are very common patterns.

💡 * J'ai lu un livre pendant le vol. (I read a book during the flight.)

• Elle a travaillé pendant huit heures. (She worked for eight hours.)
• Nous avons visité Paris pendant l'été. (We visited Paris during the summer.)
• Qu'est-ce que tu as fait pendant mon absence ? (What did you do during my absence?)
• Il a plu pendant toute la nuit. (It rained all night long.)

Durant: A slightly more formal alternative to 'pendant'

While pendant is the most common way to say 'during' in French, you might also encounter durant. This less frequent but equally valid preposition serves a similar purpose, indicating a period of time.

The primary difference between durant and pendant lies in their level of formality. Durant tends to be perceived as slightly more formal or literary, making it a good choice for written contexts, official speeches, or more elevated discourse.

You'll often find durant in formal documents, historical narratives, or academic texts. For instance, when referring to an entire era or a significant historical period, durant can lend a more serious and precise tone.

In everyday spoken French, pendant is overwhelmingly preferred. However, choosing durant can subtly elevate your language, signaling a more thoughtful or deliberate choice, especially when you want to avoid the casual feel pendant can sometimes carry.

Consider using durant when discussing events that span a defined, often longer, duration without interruption, such as 'during the war' (durant la guerre) or 'during the entire month' (durant tout le mois).

Ultimately, both durant and pendant mean 'during,' but opting for durant adds a touch of elegance and formality, making it a valuable tool for diversifying your French vocabulary.

💡 * Durant la guerre, beaucoup de gens ont souffert. (During the war, many people suffered.)

• Il a étudié durant toute la nuit. (He studied throughout the entire night.)
• La conférence aura lieu durant le mois de mai. (The conference will take place during the month of May.)
• Durant mon séjour à Paris, j'ai visité le Louvre. (During my stay in Paris, I visited the Louvre.)

Au cours de: To express 'in the course of' or 'during' an event

The French phrase au cours de translates directly to 'in the course of' or 'during' an event. It's a versatile expression used to indicate that something happens within the duration or progression of a particular period or activity.

Unlike simply stating a duration (like with pendant), au cours de often implies that an action or event unfolds or develops throughout or at some point within a larger process or period. It highlights the progression of time or an activity.

While both au cours de and pendant can mean 'during,' au cours de tends to emphasize the unfolding nature of an event or a specific moment within that unfolding. Pendant often refers to the entire duration, while au cours de focuses more on what happens within it.

Grammatically, au cours de functions as a prepositional phrase and is always followed by a noun, often preceded by a definite article (e.g., au cours de la journée, au cours du voyage).

This phrase is generally considered more formal or literary than pendant and is frequently encountered in written texts, official reports, academic discussions, and more structured speech.

You'll often find au cours de used when discussing developments during a meeting, changes over a period of study, events within a historical era, or discoveries made during research.

💡 *Au cours de la réunion, plusieurs décisions importantes ont été prises. (During the meeting, several important decisions were made.)
*Il a beaucoup appris au cours de son voyage en Afrique. (He learned a lot during his trip to Africa.)
*Les températures ont chuté au cours de la nuit. (Temperatures dropped during the night.)
*Au cours des dernières décennies, la technologie a beaucoup évolué. (Over the last few decades, technology has evolved greatly.)
*Elle a rencontré des difficultés au cours de ses études. (She encountered difficulties during her studies.)

Tout au long de: When something happens 'throughout' an entire period

The French expression tout au long de translates directly to 'all along' or, more commonly, 'throughout' in English. It's used to indicate that an action or state extends over an entire duration or an entire physical space.

Its primary function is to emphasize that something occurs continuously or consistently during an entire period, such as 'throughout the day,' 'throughout the year,' or 'throughout history.'

Beyond time, tout au long de can also describe something extending over an entire physical extent or path, like 'throughout the journey' or 'along the river.'

This fixed expression is always followed by a noun or a noun phrase, often indicating a period of time or a physical stretch. The 'de' part contracts with definite articles (e.g., du for 'de le', des for 'de les').

💡 * Il a plu tout au long de la journée. (It rained throughout the day.)

• Nous avons marché tout au long du chemin. (We walked all along the path.)
• Elle a voyagé tout au long de l'été. (She traveled throughout the summer.)
• L'exposition sera ouverte tout au long du mois de mars. (The exhibition will be open throughout the month of March.)
• La rivière serpente tout au long de la vallée. (The river winds all along the valley.)

Lors de: To indicate 'at the time of' or 'during' a specific event

Lors de: To indicate 'at the time of' or 'during' a specific event

The French expression lors de translates to 'at the time of,' 'during,' or 'upon,' and is used to specify a particular moment or occasion when something happens.

It's primarily used to introduce a noun phrase that denotes a specific event, period, or circumstance. Think of it as pinpointing an exact 'when' rather than just a general duration.

Crucially, lors de must always be followed by a noun or a noun phrase, never a verb. If you need to use a verb, you'll likely need a different construction, such as pendant que or au moment où.

While similar to pendant (during), lors de often implies a more precise moment or the occurrence of an event, whereas pendant can refer to a continuous duration. For instance, lors de la réunion (at the time of the meeting) focuses on the meeting as a point, while pendant la réunion (during the meeting) emphasizes the entire duration.

It can also carry a slightly more formal or administrative tone compared to pendant in certain contexts, making it common in official documents, reports, or more formal speech.

💡 * Lors de mon voyage en France, j'ai visité Paris. (During my trip to France, I visited Paris.)

• Elle a rencontré son mari lors d'une conférence. (She met her husband during a conference.)
• Lors de la signature du contrat, toutes les parties étaient présentes. (At the time of the contract signing, all parties were present.)
• Il est important d'être prudent lors de l'utilisation de ces outils. (It's important to be careful when using these tools.)

En: For 'during' certain seasons, months, or periods (e.g., 'en été')

The preposition en is commonly used in French to express 'in' or 'during' when referring to seasons, months, and years. This indicates a period of time within which something occurs, without specifying the exact duration, but rather the general timeframe.

While en is used for été (summer), automne (autumn), and hiver (winter) – for example, en été, en automne, en hiver – there's a specific exception for printemps (spring). For spring, you must use au printemps (literally 'at the spring').

Beyond seasons, en is the go-to preposition for months (e.g., en janvier, en décembre) and years (e.g., en 2023, en 1999). It also extends to other general periods like en semaine (during the week), en journée (during the day), and en vacances (on vacation).

It's important to differentiate en from pendant (during/for). While en denotes 'in' or 'during' a period without focusing on its exact length, pendant emphasizes the duration of an action or event. For instance, j'ai lu un livre en une heure (I read a book in an hour - time taken) versus j'ai lu un livre pendant une heure (I read a book for an hour - duration of reading).

Mastering the use of en for temporal contexts is crucial for natural-sounding French. Remember the core rule: en for seasons (except printemps), months, years, and general periods, and au printemps for spring. Consistent practice will make these usages second nature.

💡 * En été, nous allons à la plage. (In summer, we go to the beach.)

• Mon anniversaire est en décembre. (My birthday is in December.)
• Il a déménagé en 2020. (He moved in 2020.)
• Au printemps, les fleurs commencent à pousser. (In spring, flowers start to grow.)
• Je travaille beaucoup en semaine. (I work a lot during the week.)

Dans: To mean 'during' a period within a larger timeframe (e.g., 'dans la journée')

The French preposition dans can be used to express 'during' or 'within' a specific period, often implying a point or period inside a larger timeframe rather than the entire duration.

This usage is common for expressions like dans la journée (during the day/in the daytime), dans la semaine (during the week), or dans l'année (during the year), indicating something happens at some point within that day, week, or year.

It's important to distinguish this from pendant, which typically means 'for the entire duration of' (e.g., pendant la journée would mean for the whole day). Dans focuses on an event occurring at some point within the period.

💡 *Je t'appellerai dans la journée. (I will call you during the day/sometime today.)
*Nous irons au cinéma dans la semaine. (We will go to the cinema during the week/sometime this week.)
*Il pleut souvent dans l'après-midi. (It often rains during the afternoon.)
*La réunion aura lieu dans la matinée. (The meeting will take place during the morning.)
*Elle a trouvé un nouveau travail dans l'année. (She found a new job during the year/sometime this year.)

À l'occasion de: To say 'on the occasion of' or 'during' a particular event

The French phrase à l'occasion de is used to express 'on the occasion of' or 'during' a particular event. It pinpoints the specific circumstance or happening.

This versatile expression can precede a noun referring to a celebration, an anniversary, or any significant event. It often adds a touch of formality or importance to the context.

Grammatically, à l'occasion de is always followed by a noun or a noun phrase. For instance, you'd say à l'occasion de son mariage (on the occasion of his wedding) or à l'occasion des vacances (during the holidays).

While literally 'on the occasion of', it often conveys the sense of 'for' or 'during' a specific event, highlighting that the action is tied to that particular happening.

💡 * À l'occasion de son départ, nous lui avons offert un cadeau. (On the occasion of his departure, we gave him a gift.)

• Je t'appelle à l'occasion de ton anniversaire. (I'm calling you for your birthday.)
• À l'occasion des fêtes de fin d'année, les magasins sont très fréquentés. (During the end-of-year holidays, stores are very busy.)
• Elle a fait un discours à l'occasion de la remise des diplômes. (She gave a speech on the occasion of the graduation ceremony.)

Le temps de: To express 'for the duration of' or 'while' something happens

The French phrase Le temps de literally translates to 'the time of' or 'time to'. However, its usage extends beyond this literal meaning, serving to express the duration of an action or the concept of 'while' something is happening.

One of the primary uses of Le temps de is to indicate that an action will take place for the duration of another event or a specific period. It implies that the first action will last exactly as long as the second one.

Le temps de can also be used to convey the idea of 'while' or 'as long as' an action occurs. In this context, it often precedes an infinitive verb, indicating that the main action happens concurrently with the action described by the infinitive.

Crucially, Le temps de is almost always followed by an infinitive verb. This structure allows for a concise way to link two actions, where one defines the duration or concurrent period of the other. For example, 'Le temps de manger' means 'while eating' or 'for the time it takes to eat'.

This construction often implies that the main action will take just enough time for the subsequent action to be completed, or that it will happen during the time it takes to complete the subsequent action. It's a very efficient way to express temporal relationships.

💡 *J'ai lu un chapitre le temps de prendre mon café. (I read a chapter for the duration of drinking my coffee / while drinking my coffee.)
*Prépare-toi, j'arrive le temps de finir ce travail. (Get ready, I'll arrive by the time I finish this work.)
*Il faut le temps de digérer avant de nager. (You need time to digest before swimming.)
*Elle a chanté une chanson le temps de se doucher. (She sang a song while showering.)
*Nous avons discuté le temps de préparer le dîner. (We talked while preparing dinner.)

Are there other ways to say 'during' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'during' in French?

Our list covers the most common and versatile ways to express 'during' in French. However, the French language, like any other, is rich with nuances, including more formal, literary, or context-specific terms that convey duration or simultaneity.

For deeper exploration, you can search online for phrases like 'synonymes de pendant' or 'expressions de durée en français' to uncover a wider range of options.

When you encounter new terms, always make sure to consult a dictionary for their precise meaning and, crucially, observe how they are used in various contexts before incorporating them into your own speech.

As you continue to read, watch, and listen to French media, pay close attention to how native speakers express concepts of time and duration. You'll naturally pick up on subtle distinctions and less common alternatives.

For an extensive look at how 'pendant' and similar words function, the WordReference entry for 'pendant' or 'durant' is an excellent starting point, offering examples and related expressions.

I hope this article has clarified the main ways to say 'during' in French. To conclude, here's a thought from Victor Hugo that touches on the essence of time: "La vie est un voyage, et le temps est notre guide." (Life is a journey, and time is our guide.)