How do you say "It won't take long." in French?

"It won't take long." in French is "Cela ne prendra pas longtemps.". This phrase is commonly used in France.

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How to Say ‘It won't take long.’ in French

Q: What does "Cela ne prendra pas longtemps." mean in English?

"Cela ne prendra pas longtemps." means "It won't take long." in English. Usage tip: French usually says [prendre du temps] or [prendre longtemps] for how much time something takes. Here [cela] is a more formal-sounding [ça].

Cela ne prendra pas longtemps.

Seh-lah Nuh Pron-drah Pah Lohng-tom

[Seh-lah Nuh Pron-drah Pah Lohng-tom]

💬 Usage Tip: French usually says [prendre du temps] or [prendre longtemps] for how much time something takes. Here [cela] is a more formal-sounding [ça].

Phrase Breakdown

Cela

[Seh-lah]

That

Refers to a previously mentioned act or task.

Example

Cela ne prendra pas longtemps pour remplacer la pile.

That will not take long to replace the battery.

Ne prendra pas

Nuh Pron-drah Pah

Words in this phrase

[Nuh]

Will not

Indicates the negation of a future action.

Example

Ne vous inquiétez pas, cela ne prendra pas trop de temps.

Don't worry, it will not take too much time.

prendra

[Pron-drah]

Take

Refers to the amount of time or resources used.

Example

Cela devrait prendre une heure ou deux au maximum.

It should take an hour or two at most.

pas

[Pah]

Not

Used to negate a verb in future tense.

Example

Ce processus ne devrait pas être long.

This process should not be long.

longtemps

[Lohng-tom]

Long

For a considerable duration.

Example

La réparation de votre montre ne sera pas longue.

The repair of your watch will not be long.

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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