German Phrase
Wie lange wird diese Reise dauern?
Meaning
The sentence asks for the expected length of a trip. It is a neutral, polite way to inquire about travel time, whether you are planning a vacation, a business trip, or a school excursion.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to know the duration of an upcoming journey – for example when booking tickets, discussing itineraries with friends, or asking a travel agent for details.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WielangewirddieseReisedauern?
Wie lange
A fixed question phrase meaning 'how long', placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Future with werden
German forms the future tense with the auxiliary verb 'werden' + infinitive. Here 'wird' is the 3rd‑person singular present of 'werden'.
Dauern
The verb 'dauern' means 'to last' or 'to take (time)'. It is used with the infinitive after 'werden' to talk about duration.
Demonstrative adjective 'diese'
‘diese’ agrees in gender, number and case with the noun it modifies – here feminine singular nominative ‘Reise’.
Verb‑second (V2) word order
In main clauses the finite verb ('wird') occupies the second position; the question phrase counts as the first.
🗨In Conversation
Wie lange wird diese Reise dauern?
How long will this trip take?
Sie dauert ungefähr acht Stunden, wir fliegen von Berlin nach Rom.
It will take about eight hours; we’re flying from Berlin to Rome.
✕Common Mistakes
Wie lange ist diese Reise dauern?
‘sein’ is used for states, not for future tense. The correct auxiliary is ‘werden’.
Wie lange wird diese Reise dauert?
When using the future construction, the main verb must stay in infinitive form.
Wie lange wird diese Reisen dauern?
If the noun is plural, the demonstrative adjective must agree (e.g., ‘diese Reisen’).
↔Alternatives
Wie viel Zeit nimmt diese Reise in Anspruch?
How much time will this trip take?
Wie lange dauert die Reise?
How long does the trip last?
Wie lange wird die Fahrt dauern?
How long will the ride be?
Cultural Tip
Germans are very punctual and like to plan ahead. When you ask about travel time, it’s common to follow up with a request for exact departure and arrival times. Using the future tense ('wird … dauern') sounds slightly more formal; in everyday speech many people simply use the present tense – 'Wie lange dauert die Reise?' – which is equally correct.