Question 1

The current lesson is about "en" and "dans" for time. Could we use either of those here instead of "au bout de"?

Accepted Answer

No. Dans is used for the time until an action starts, usually in the future (He will leave in two hours). En is used for the time it takes to actively complete an action (He finished the test in two hours). Because this sentence means he left at the end of a two-hour waiting period, neither en nor dans works here.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use "au bout de" instead of "après" for "after"?

Accepted Answer

Après is generally followed by an event, a noun, or a specific point in time (like après le dîner for "after dinner"). When you want to say "after" a specific duration or length of time (like two hours or three days), French uses au bout de, which literally translates to "at the end of".

Question 3

Why is the past tense formed with "est" (il est parti) instead of "a"?

Accepted Answer

The verb partir (to leave) is one of the special verbs of motion and state (often remembered by the acronym Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp) that always use être instead of avoir as their helping verb in the passé composé.

Question 4

What does the word "bout" mean on its own?

Accepted Answer

Un bout literally means an "end," a "tip," or a "piece" of something physical, like a piece of string or the tip of your nose. In this time expression, it is used figuratively to mean "at the very end" of the two hours.

Au bout de deux heures, il est parti.

Breakdown of Au bout de deux heures, il est parti.

Questions & Answers about Au bout de deux heures, il est parti.

Learn Au bout de deux heures, il est parti and more in French