Quand vs lorsque: How to say 'when' in French

There are two different words for 'when' in French: quand and lorsque.

Quand is the most common of the two, while lorsque is only used as a conjunction, and tends to be a bit more formal.

Let's take a look at the difference:

We use quand when asking a 'when' question, as in the following examples:

Quand veux-tu voir ce nouveau film ? - When do you want to see that new movie?

Quand venez-vous ? - When are you coming?

It can also be used as a conjunction, as in the following examples:

Je faisais la vaisselle quand j'ai cassé mon verre à vin préféré. - I was washing the dishes when I broke my favourite wine glass.

Elle ne sait pas exactement quand le colis doit arriver - She doesn't know exactly when the parcel is due to arrive.

For more on how to use quand, check out Lesson 16 of The Complete French Course.

Lorsque is only used as a conjunction, as in the following examples:

Nous vous appellerons lorsque nous aurons pris une décision concernant ce projet. - We will call you once we have made a decision regarding this project.

Lorsque les circonstances changent, il faut s'adapter - When circumstances change, you have to adapt.

We could also use quand here, but lorsque is considered more formal, and is more likely to be used in written French.

Lorsque contracts when it is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or an unaspirated 'h', as in the following examples:

Lorsqu'elle parle, tout le monde écoute - When she talks, everyone listens.

Lorsqu'Hélène est arrivée, elle a vu ce qui s'était passé - When Hélène arrived, she saw what had happened.

dans combien de temps ? - when? (literally 'in how much time?')

à quelle heure ? - at what time?

à quel moment ? - at what moment?