pour + Duration

Planned Duration with Pour

Level 2

In French, pour is used for durations that are planned or intended. It is most common with verbs of motion (going, leaving) or staying.

How It Works

The preposition pour marks a specific type of time span: the intended or projected duration. Unlike pendant, which describes how long an activity actually lasted, pour focuses on the plan.

Key characteristics include:

  • Stays and Trips: It is primarily used for stays, trips, or appointments. It frequently follows verbs like partir (to leave), aller (to go), or venir (to come).
  • Past or Future: While often used for the future, it can be used in the past to describe the intended length of a trip (e.g., Il est parti pour trois jours).
  • Deadlines: Pour is also used to indicate a deadline or a point in time for which something is intended, such as C'est pour demain (It's for tomorrow).

The 'En avoir pour' Expression:
A very common idiomatic use is en avoir pour + [time], which means 'it will take me [time] to finish'. For example: J'en ai pour cinq minutes (I'll only be five minutes).

Important Distinction:
Do not use pour for general activities. You say J'ai travaillé pendant deux heures (activity), but Je pars pour deux heures (planned absence/trip).

Examples (4)

  1. Je pars en vacances pour deux semaines.

    I am going on vacation for two weeks.

    Word by Word: I leave in vacations for two weeks.

    Here, 'pour' indicates the planned length of the upcoming vacation.

  2. Elle s'installe à Lyon pour six mois.

    She is moving to Lyon for six months.

    Word by Word: She herself installs at Lyon for six months.

    This describes an intended stay or duration of residence.

  3. Ne t'inquiète pas, j'en ai seulement pour cinq minutes.

    Don't worry, I'll only be five minutes.

    Word by Word: Not yourself worry not, I of it have only for five minutes.

    This uses the idiomatic 'en avoir pour' to show how much time a task will take.

  4. Le bureau sera fermé pour trois jours.

    The office will be closed for three days.

    Word by Word: The office will be closed for three days.

    The future tense 'sera' works perfectly with 'pour' to show a planned closure.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'pour' for the duration of an activity.

    J'ai étudié pour trois heures.
    J'ai étudié pendant trois heures.

    For general activities like studying, working, or sleeping, use pendant. 'Pour' is reserved for the intended duration of a stay, a trip, or an appointment.

  • Using 'pour' for ongoing actions that started in the past.

    Je vis à Lyon pour six mois.
    Je vis à Lyon depuis six mois.

    To say you have been doing something for a certain amount of time, use depuis. Use 'pour' only if you are talking about the total planned duration of your stay.

  • Using 'pendant' when you mean the planned length of a trip (it is correct, but says something else).

    Different MeaningJe suis parti pendant deux jours.
    Je suis parti pour deux jours.

    Both sentences are correct in the past, but they say different things. 'Pendant' tells how long you were away. 'Pour' tells how long you planned to be away when you left. It is correct even in the past if it describes the intended length of a trip or stay at the moment it began.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

pour + DurationLevel 2Planned Duration with Pour

Learn This First

To use 'pour' for future duration, you need to understand the basic meaning of the preposition 'pour', be able to count time units using cardinal numbers, and know how to express future intent using tenses like the futur proche.

Words in This Pattern