How to Say “How Long Does It Take?” in Turkish
The usual way to say “How long does it take?” in Turkish is Ne kadar sürer? It is neutral: safe in almost any situation. Below are 3 alternatives, how to reply, an example dialogue and the grammar behind it.
In Turkish
Ne kadar sürer?
- Literally
- “how much does-it-last?”
- Register
- Neutralsafe in almost any situation
How Ne kadar sürer? is built
- ne kadarhow much, how long
- sür-last, take (time)
- -eraorist
Other ways to say “How long does it take?”
- Ne kadar sürüyor?Neutral
“how long is it taking?”
Present continuous.
- Kaç saat sürer?Neutral
“how many hours does it take?”
For trips.
- Yürüyerek kaç dakika?Neutral
“how many minutes on foot?”
Walking time.
How to reply
Yaklaşık yarım saat.
About half an hour.
Trafiğe bağlı.
It depends on the traffic.
Example dialogue
- A
İstanbul'dan Ankara'ya trenle ne kadar sürer?
How long does it take from Istanbul to Ankara by train?
- B
Hızlı trenle yaklaşık beş saat.
About five hours by high-speed train.
Related phrases
All phrases →More time & dates
Go deeper
“How long does it take?” in Turkish: FAQ
How do you say “How long does it take” in Turkish?
The most common way is Ne kadar sürer? (literally “how much does-it-last?”), which is neutral: safe in almost any situation. You will also hear Ne kadar sürüyor (“how long is it taking?”): present continuous.
How do you reply to Ne kadar sürer?
Typical replies are Yaklaşık yarım saat. (“About half an hour.”) and Trafiğe bağlı. (“It depends on the traffic.”).
What does each part of Ne kadar sürer mean?
ne kadar = how much, how long; sür- = last, take (time); -er = aorist. Sürmek means “to last” (and also “to drive” or “to spread”).
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