To express an interval (from ... to ...) in French, you will use either de ... à ... or the contracted form du ... au ... (de + le ... à + le ...) depending on what follows.
1 - du ... au ... (literally: from the ... to the ...) is used when the definite article le is normally present in French:
- between two dates
Le festival dure du 24 juillet au 5 août.
The festival lasts from the 24th of July to the 5th of August.
Note that, like for dates in general, you don't use ordinal numbers (except for 1st: premier) and you don't need the of in front of the month.
See Expressing dates in French
- between two days of the week in a repetitive context (e.g. from Mondays to Fridays):
Cet athlète s'entraîne du lundi au samedi, toutes les semaines.
This athlete trains from Mondays to Saturdays, every week.
Note that you use the singular form of the day. You never say des lundis aux vendredis
See Using le with days of the week + weekend
2 - de ... à ... (literally: from ... to ...) is used in cases where le is not present in French:
- between two times:
Je suis resté là de huit heures à onze heures.
I stayed there from eight to eleven.
Je travaille tous les jours de neuf heures à dix-sept heures.
I work every day from nine to five.
See Telling the time in French - simple
- between two months:
Ce musée est ouvert de mai à octobre.
This museum is open from May to October.
Elle sera en France de juillet à septembre.
She'll be in France from July to September.
- between two days of the week in a one-time, specific context (e.g. from Monday to Friday):
Il restera ici de lundi à mardi.
He'll stay here from Monday to Tuesday.
Cette semaine, il travaille de mardi à vendredi.
This week, he works from Tuesday to Friday.
du 4 au 8 juin
from the 4th to the 8th of June
Je suis resté là de huit heures à onze heures.
I stayed there from eight to eleven.
du lundi au vendredi
Mondays to Fridays
Elle sera en France de juillet à septembre.
She'll be in France from July to September.
Ce musée est ouvert de mai à octobre.
This museum is open from May to October.
Cette semaine, il travaille de mardi à vendredi.
This week, he works from Tuesday to Friday.
Le festival dure du 24 juillet au 5 août.
The festival lasts from the 24th of July to the 5th of August.
Je travaille tous les jours de neuf heures à dix-sept heures.
I work every day from nine to five.
Il restera ici de lundi à mardi.
He'll stay here from Monday to Tuesday.
Cet athlète s'entraîne du lundi au samedi, toutes les semaines.
This athlete trains from Mondays to Saturdays, every week.
Hi Terry,
If I understand your question correctly, you are querying the pronunciation of 'dix' (No. 10) ?
It is more of a 'sss' sound unless there is a liaison and it will be a 'z' sound...
The number 10 on its own is pronounced, 'Dissss'.
Il a di -Z- ans = He is ten years old
Hope this helps!
Hi. Thank you for your response. Unfortunately it was not a matter of pronunciation. The written answer was actually “diz...” rather than ‘dix...’. It may have been a glitch in the system. If I come across it again I will send it to you.
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The answer given was 'de dix à'.
Why is it not 'de dix heures à' ?
Hi Ben,
... de dix à onze heures -- from 10 to 11 o'clock.
... de dix heures à onze heures -- from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock.
It's just as correct but wordier.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
It seems just as correct, but it was ruled incorrect when I answered as such (de dix heures à onze heures). It only accepted "de dix à onze heures" as the correct answer.
Barry
The answer given was 'de dix à'.
Why is it not 'de dix heures à' ?
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