A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "How long does it take" in Spanish
Ask about the duration of an activity or journey in Spanish with this essential phrase.
¿Cuánto tiempo toma?
KWAHN-toh tee-EM-poh TOH-mahneutral
Spanish TTS · 0:01
Use this when you need to know how much time a task will require, like a bus ride or a cooking process. It's also perfect for asking about the length of an event or appointment.
Alternatives
- ¿Cuánto tarda?Slightly more common when referring to something that *usually* takes a certain amount of time.
- ¿Cuánto se demora?Often used in some countries to ask about travel times or how long something will take to be completed.
Ways to get it wrong
Confusing 'tomar' with 'to take'
While 'tomar' can mean 'to take', in this context it means 'to take time' or 'to require'.
Using 'por' instead of 'tiempo'
You need to specify 'tiempo' (time) to ask about duration; '¿Cuánto por?' doesn't make sense here.
A small cultural note
In some regions, people might add 'aproximadamente' (approximately) if they want to be less direct about the exact time.
Frequently asked
how long does it take to get to the airport in spanish
You would ask '¿Cuánto tiempo toma llegar al aeropuerto?' or '¿Cuánto tarda el viaje al aeropuerto?'.
how long does it take to cook chicken in spanish
You can say '¿Cuánto tiempo toma cocinar el pollo?' or '¿Cuánto tarda en cocinarse el pollo?'.
how long does it take to learn spanish
To ask this, you'd say '¿Cuánto tiempo toma aprender español?' or '¿Cuánto se tarda en aprender español?'.
