This useful phrase helps you ask about duration — travel time, cooking time, waiting time, and more. It’s practical and polite in almost every situation.
Lets look at How Long Does It Take in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, French
Spanish
1. Word Overview
- Native Phrase: ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda?
- English Translation: How long does it take?
- Part of Speech: Interrogative phrase
- Gender: Tiempo is masculine
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkwan.to ˈtjem.po ˈtaɾ.ða/
2. Example Sentence
- ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda en llegar el autobús?
- How long does it take for the bus to arrive?
Use tardar en + verb to talk about how long something takes to do something.
3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note
Tarda is from the verb tardar, meaning “to take (time).” It changes based on the subject: tarda, tardan, etc.
4. Daily Practice Challenge
Ask yourself: ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda en llegar a tu trabajo? Answer with a full sentence.
Italian
1. Word Overview
- Native Phrase: Quanto tempo ci vuole?
- English Translation: How long does it take?
- Part of Speech: Interrogative phrase
- Gender: Tempo is masculine
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkwan.to ˈtem.po tʃi ˈvwɔ.le/
2. Example Sentence
- Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare al centro?
- How long does it take to get to the city center?
The structure uses ci vuole (it takes) and changes to ci vogliono for plural durations.
3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note
Use ci vuole for singular (e.g. un’ora), and ci vogliono for plural (e.g. due ore).
4. Daily Practice Challenge
Say: Quanto tempo ci vuole per preparare la cena? Try changing la cena to other daily tasks.
Portuguese
1. Word Overview
- Native Phrase: Quanto tempo demora?
- English Translation: How long does it take?
- Part of Speech: Interrogative phrase
- Gender: Tempo is masculine
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkwɐ̃.tu ˈtẽ.pu dɨ.ˈmɔ.ɾɐ/ (PT), /ˈkwɐ̃.tʊ ˈtẽ.pu dʒiˈmo.ɾɐ/ (BR)
2. Example Sentence
- Quanto tempo demora para chegar ao aeroporto?
- How long does it take to get to the airport?
Demorar is commonly used in both Brazil and Portugal for asking duration.
3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note
In Brazil, you can also use levar (to take), as in Quanto tempo leva…?. Both are correct.
4. Daily Practice Challenge
Write or say: Quanto tempo demora para fazer isso? Then practice with different activities.
German
1. Word Overview
- Native Phrase: Wie lange dauert es?
- English Translation: How long does it take?
- Part of Speech: Interrogative phrase
- Gender: Es (it) is neuter
- IPA Pronunciation: /viː ˈlaŋə ˈdaʊ̯ɐt ʔɛs/
2. Example Sentence
- Wie lange dauert es, bis der Zug kommt?
- How long does it take until the train comes?
Dauert comes from dauern (to last, to take time).
3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note
Es dauert… is very common in German. You can also use Wie lange braucht man…? for “How long does one need…?”
4. Daily Practice Challenge
Say aloud: Wie lange dauert es zur Arbeit? Try changing the destination to school, airport, etc.
French
1. Word Overview
- Native Phrase: Ça prend combien de temps ?
- English Translation: How long does it take?
- Part of Speech: Interrogative phrase
- Gender: Temps is masculine
- IPA Pronunciation: /sa pʁɑ̃ kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃/
2. Example Sentence
- Ça prend combien de temps pour aller à pied ?
- How long does it take to walk there?
Ça prend = it takes; followed by combien de temps (how much time).
3. Mini Grammar or Culture Note
French uses prendre (to take) for this phrase, as in “it takes time.” The structure is casual and used in everyday speech.
4. Daily Practice Challenge
Answer this out loud: Ça prend combien de temps pour cuisiner ce plat ?
Multilingual Bonus Table
| Language | Native Phrase | IPA Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda? | /ˈkwan.to ˈtjem.po ˈtaɾ.ða/ |
| Italian | Quanto tempo ci vuole? | /ˈkwan.to ˈtem.po tʃi ˈvwɔ.le/ |
| Portuguese | Quanto tempo demora? | /ˈkwɐ̃.tu ˈtẽ.pu dʒiˈmo.ɾɐ/ |
| German | Wie lange dauert es? | /viː ˈlaŋə ˈdaʊ̯ɐt ʔɛs/ |
| French | Ça prend combien de temps ? | /sa pʁɑ̃ kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃/ |