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How to Say ‘Would take less time’ in French

Prendrait moins de temps

pran-dray mwan de tahn

[pran-dray mwan de tahn]

💬 Usage Tip: French often uses [prendre] where English uses "take" for time: [Ça prend dix minutes] = "That takes ten minutes." So [prendrait moins de temps] is a very reusable pattern for saying something would be quicker.

Phrase Breakdown

Prendrait

[pran-dray]

would take

The conditional form of 'take', often used to discuss hypothetical situations.

Example

Ce chemin prendrait moins de temps pour arriver.

This path would take less time to arrive.

Moins de temps

mwan de tahn

Words in this phrase

moins

[mwan]

less

Indicates a smaller amount.

Example

Ce travail prendrait moins de temps.

This task would take less time.

de

[de]

of

Indicates part of something.

Example

Cela consomme moins de ressources.

That consumes fewer resources.

temps

[tahn]

time

A measured period during which events occur.

Example

Nous avons moins de temps pour le projet.

We have less time for the project.

Guides for French learners

“Do You Speak English?” in French, and What to Say When You Don't Speak FrenchHow to say “do you speak English?” in French politely, what you'll hear back, and the phrases for “I don't speak French” and “can you repeat that?”, with audio.The Best App to Learn French: An Honest ComparisonDuolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, Busuu, italki and PrettyFluent compared for learning French: what each is best at, how you pay, and which fits your goal.

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