Expressing Duration with طول کشیدن
To state how long an action takes to complete, Farsi uses the compound verb طول کشیدن (literally "to pull length").
For impersonal statements like "it takes five minutes," use the third-person singular form: طول میکشد.
Connecting the Action with تا
To specify the action taking time, connect your duration phrase to the event using تا (until / for). Because the action following تا is an anticipated result, its verb must be in the present subjunctive.
The standard formula is: [Time Expression] + طول میکشد + تا + [Present Subjunctive]
| It takes fifty seconds for this tea to brew. | پنجاه ثانیه طول میکشد تا این چای دم بکشد.panjâh sânie tul mikeshad tâ in châi dam bekeshad |
This structure works for any length of time and accommodates any subject performing the action.
| It takes three months to get the admission and visa. | سه ماه طول میکشد تا پذیرش و ویزا بگیریم.se mâh tul mikeshad tâ pazireš va vizâ begirim. |
| It takes five years for all people to get citizenship. | پنج سال طول میکشد تا همهی مردم تابعیت بگیرند.panj sâl tul mikeshad tâ hame-ye mardom tâbe'iyat begirand. |
Asking Questions and Negation
To ask how long a process takes, use چند (how many) followed by a time unit like چند ساعت (how many hours) or چند روز (how many days).
| How many hours does it take for the childbirth to finish? | چند ساعت طول میکشد تا زایمان تمام شود؟chand sâ'at tul mikeshad tâ zâyemân tamâm shavad? |
To state that something does not take a certain amount of time, negate the main verb (طول نمیکشد).
| Cooking this meat does not take a few seconds; it takes two hours! | پختن این گوشت چند ثانیه طول نمیکشد؛ دو ساعت طول میکشد!pokhtan-e in gusht chand sâniye tul nemikeshad; do sâ'at tul mikeshad! |
Multiple Subjunctive Actions
If a process involves multiple steps, you only need to use تا once. Connect subsequent actions with و (and), keeping all following verbs in the subjunctive.
| It takes ten minutes for the tea to brew and the food to be digested. | ده دقیقه طول میکشد تا چای دم بکشد و غذا هضم بشود.dah daghighe tul mikeshad tâ châi dam bekeshad va ghazâ hazm beshavad |
| It takes a few days for the convalescence period to finish and the patient's discharge after pregnancy to become final. | چند روز طول میکشد تا دورهی نقاهت تمام بشود و ترخیص بیمار بعد از بارداری قطعی بشود.chand ruz tul mikeshad tâ dowre-ye naqâhat tamâm beshavad va tarkhis-e bimâr ba'd az bârdâri qat'i beshavad. |