Portuguese Phrase
A espera dura uns 15 minutos.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that the waiting period will last roughly fifteen minutes. The word uns signals that the figure is an estimate, not an exact count.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to inform someone about an expected waiting time – for example, at a restaurant, a doctor’s office, a bank, or while checking in at an airport.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Aesperadurauns15minutos.
Definite article (A)
A is the feminine singular definite article, matching the noun espera (the wait).
Noun gender (espera)
Esperar is a feminine noun in Portuguese, so it takes the article a.
Verb conjugation (dura)
Dura is the third‑person singular present of durar ‘to last’, agreeing with the singular subject a espera.
Indefinite article with numbers (uns)
Uns is the masculine plural indefinite article used before a numeral to express an approximate quantity (≈ ‘about’).
Numeral agreement (minutos)
Minutos is a masculine plural noun, so it pairs with the masculine article uns.
Approximation with uns
When you want to say ‘about’ a number, Portuguese often uses uns + number; it’s less formal than cerca de.
🗨In Conversation
A espera dura uns 15 minutos.
The wait lasts about 15 minutes.
Obrigado, então vou aproveitar para ler um livro.
Thanks, then I’ll use the time to read a book.
✕Common Mistakes
A espera dura um 15 minutos.
Um is singular; you need the plural uns because you’re talking about a plural noun (minutos) and an approximate quantity.
O espera dura uns 15 minutos.
Esperar is feminine, so the correct article is a, not o.
A espera dura 15 minutos exatamente.
If you want to convey an estimate, use uns or cerca de; exactly 15 minutes would be 15 minutos exatos.
↔Alternatives
A espera leva cerca de 15 minutos.
The wait takes about 15 minutes.
A espera tem duração de aproximadamente 15 minutos.
The wait has a duration of approximately 15 minutes.
Vai demorar uns 15 minutos.
It will take about 15 minutes.
Cultural Tip
In Portugal the construction uns + number is very common for approximations, while in Brazil people often prefer cerca de or aproximadamente. In formal written Portuguese you’ll see aproximadamente more often, but in everyday speech uns 15 minutos sounds natural and friendly.