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Uno tarda horas en salir de la mina.

Uno tarda horas en salir de la mina.
One takes hours to get out of the mine.
From Lesson 394:Impersonal statements (uno)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Uno tarda horas en salir de la mina.

Does a female speaker have to say una instead of uno in this sentence?
She can choose either. A woman might say una tarda to make the generic statement feel a bit more connected to her own experience. However, uno is still perfectly fine and commonly used by anyone as a neutral, generic way to say one or you.
Why is the preposition en used before salir?
In Spanish, the verb tardar (to take time) requires the preposition en when followed by an infinitive. Whenever you want to say that someone takes a certain amount of time to do something, the formula is tardar + time + en + infinitive.
How does using uno here feel different from using the impersonal se, like se tardan horas?
Both express a general truth, but uno makes it feel slightly more relatable or personal. When you say uno tarda, you are usually implying people in general, including yourself. The impersonal se feels a bit more detached.
I often translate it takes time using the verb tomar. Could I say toma horas instead?
You will hear phrases like toma horas salir in some parts of Latin America, often due to English influence. However, tardar is the traditional, most universally natural verb across all Spanish-speaking regions to express how long an action takes.

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