How do you say "within an hour"?

Question

"Dinner will be served within an hour" was the wrong choice on the test for "le dîner sera servi dans une heure". If I wanted to be less precise than "in an hour's time", how would I express that?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Sherry !

To say "Dinner will be served within an hour" you would have to say "Le dîner sera servi *en* moins d'une heure" (literally: within less than an hour / comprised in one hour) or "Le dîner sera servi *dans* moins d'une heure" (literally: in less than an hour's time).

I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !

Answer

I'm a bit confused about the possibility for "en" in this context. Does that mean that "en" can express future actions as well?

Answer

I think "Dinner will be served within an hour" can be translated into "Le dîner sera servi d'ici moins d'une heure", which means  "Le dîner sera servi *dans* moins d'une heure". And nobody says "Dinner will be served in an hour's time" in English.