“What Time Do You Open?” in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, French

This question is essential for travelers and shoppers. Use it to ask about store hours, office times, or restaurant opening times.

Lets look at “What Time Do You Open?” in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, French

Spanish

1. Word Overview

• Native Phrase: ¿A qué hora abren?
• English Translation: What time do you open?
• Part of Speech: Interrogative sentence (verb: abrir)
• IPA Pronunciation: /a ke ˈo.ɾa ˈa.βɾen/

2. Example Sentence

• ¿A qué hora abren los domingos?
• What time do you open on Sundays?

Abren is the third-person plural of abrir, commonly used when asking about businesses.

3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note

Use ¿A qué hora abre? for one-person shops or formal situations. Use abren for plural or general references to businesses.

4. Daily Practice Challenge

Write or say: ¿A qué hora abren…? and add places like la farmacia, el museo, or la tienda.

Italian

1. Word Overview

• Native Phrase: A che ora aprite?
• English Translation: What time do you open?
• Part of Speech: Interrogative sentence (verb: aprire)
• IPA Pronunciation: /a ke ˈo.ra aˈpri.te/

2. Example Sentence

• A che ora aprite la mattina?
• What time do you open in the morning?

Aprite is the second-person plural (you all open), used to speak to shopkeepers politely.

3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note

Use apri (you open) for informal, single-person questions. For businesses, aprite is standard and polite.

4. Daily Practice Challenge

Create 2 example sentences asking about different opening times using A che ora aprite…?

Portuguese

1. Word Overview

• Native Phrase: A que horas vocês abrem?
• English Translation: What time do you open?
• Part of Speech: Interrogative sentence (verb: abrir)
• IPA Pronunciation: /a ki ˈɔ.ɾas voˈsejs ˈa.bɾẽj̃/ (Brazilian)

2. Example Sentence

• A que horas vocês abrem durante a semana?
• What time do you open during the week?

Vocês abrem is standard in Brazil. In Portugal, you may hear a que horas abrem? (dropping vocês).

3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note

Você(s) is used for polite or formal speech in Brazil. Use abre for singular informal, abrem for plural/formal.

4. Daily Practice Challenge

Write a pretend message to a bakery asking: A que horas vocês abrem amanhã? (tomorrow).

German

1. Word Overview

• Native Phrase: Wann öffnen Sie?
• English Translation: What time do you open?
• Part of Speech: Interrogative sentence (verb: öffnen)
• IPA Pronunciation: /van ˈœf.nən ziː/

2. Example Sentence

• Wann öffnen Sie am Samstag?
• What time do you open on Saturday?

Sie öffnen is the formal “you open.” Used in all public or customer-facing settings.

3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note

German uses formal Sie in nearly all business inquiries. Use Wann machst du auf? only in casual contexts.

4. Daily Practice Challenge

Practice aloud: Wann öffnen Sie morgen? Try substituting in am Sonntag, am Abend, etc.

French

1. Word Overview

• Native Phrase: À quelle heure ouvrez-vous ?
• English Translation: What time do you open?
• Part of Speech: Interrogative sentence (verb: ouvrir)
• Gender: Heure is feminine (la heure → l’heure)
• IPA Pronunciation: /a kɛl œʁ uvʁe vu/

2. Example Sentence

• À quelle heure ouvrez-vous le lundi ?
• What time do you open on Mondays?

Ouvrez-vous is formal and business-appropriate. You may also hear: Vous ouvrez à quelle heure ?

3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note

In French, inversion (ouvrez-vous) is formal and common in writing. For speech, Vous ouvrez à quelle heure ? is more conversational.

4. Daily Practice Challenge

Record yourself saying: À quelle heure ouvrez-vous demain ? Practice replacing demain with le week-end, le soir, etc.

Multilingual Bonus Table