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How to Say ‘How long will it take?’ in German

Wie lange dauert das?

vee LAHNG-eh DOW-ert dahs

[vee LAHNG-eh DOW-ert dahs]

💬 Usage Tip: German often uses the present tense for the future: dauert "takes" covers "will take". Same with Ich komme morgen "I'll come tomorrow".

Phrase Breakdown

Wie lange

vee LAHNG-eh

How long

'Wie' sounds like 'vee'. The final 'e' in 'lange' is spoken softly.

Example

Wie lange bleiben Sie?

How long are you staying?

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word asking about manner or state.

Example

Wie geht es dir?

How are you?

lange

[LAHNG-eh]

long

Used with time expressions to ask or say that something has lasted a long time.

Example

„Lange“ zeigt in „schon lange“ eine längere Zeitspanne.

“Long” in “for a long time” shows a longer period of time.

dauert das?

DOW-ert dahs

does it take?

'dauern' means 'to last' or 'to take time'. 'au' sounds like 'ow' in 'cow'.

Example

Das dauert zehn Minuten.

That takes ten minutes.

Words in this phrase

dauert

[DOW-ert]

takes / lasts

Form of 'dauern', used to say how much time something needs.

Example

Der Termin dauert eine Stunde.

The appointment takes one hour.

das

[dahs]

that; it

Refers back to a previous statement or situation, often translated as 'that' or 'it.'

Example

Das hat einen positiven Eindruck hinterlassen.

That left a positive impression.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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