Breakdown of Das dauert höchstens zehn Minuten.
zehn
ten
die Minute
the minute
dauern
to last / to take (time)
höchstens
at most
Questions & Answers about Das dauert höchstens zehn Minuten.
Why is dauert used here instead of a form of nehmen to mean "takes"?
In English, an event "takes" time, but in German, you cannot use nehmen for this. You must use dauern, which means "to last" or "to take (time)". Using nehmen for time duration is a classic English interference mistake.
How does the word höchstens relate to the adjective hoch?
höchstens is an adverb meaning "at most" or "maximum". It is built from the superlative form of hoch (high), which is am höchsten. Other common adverbs formed this way include spätestens (at the latest) and mindestens (at least).
What is the grammatical case of zehn Minuten in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case. In German, expressions of definite time duration used without a preposition are always in the accusative. Although the plural word Minuten happens to look the same in multiple cases, grammatically it acts as an accusative of duration here.
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