Spanish Phrase
El contrato dura doce meses.
Meaning
The sentence states that the contract lasts for a period of twelve months. It uses the verb durar to talk about the length of time something continues.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell a client, colleague, or landlord how long a legal or service agreement will be in effect, such as rental contracts, employment agreements, or service subscriptions.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Elcontratoduradocemeses.
Definite article (El)
El is the masculine singular definite article used before masculine nouns like contrato.
Noun (contrato)
Contrato is a masculine singular noun meaning ‘contract’; it follows the article El.
Verb (dura)
Durar is a regular -ar verb; in the third‑person singular present it means ‘lasts’ or ‘continues for’. It agrees with the singular subject contrato.
Cardinal number (doce)
Doce is the number twelve; it does not change for gender or number.
Plural noun (meses)
Meses is the plural of mes (month). When a number greater than one is used, the noun appears in plural form.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cuánto tiempo está vigente el contrato?
How long is the contract valid?
El contrato dura doce meses.
The contract lasts twelve months.
✕Common Mistakes
El contrato es doce meses.
‘Ser’ describes identity or permanent characteristics; use ‘dura’ to talk about how long something lasts.
El contrato dura doce mes.
When a number greater than one is used, the noun must be plural.
El contrato dura meses doce.
Avoid swapping the order; the number precedes the noun in Spanish.
↔Alternatives
El contrato tiene una duración de doce meses.
The contract has a duration of twelve months.
El contrato es válido por un año.
The contract is valid for one year.
La vigencia del contrato es de doce meses.
The contract’s term is twelve months.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, contracts explicitly state the period of validity. The verb durar is preferred for talking about time spans, while ser/estar are used for status (e.g., ‘el contrato es válido’). Also, note that in Latin America the pronunciation of ‘doce’ is /doˈse/ rather than the Castilian /doˈθe/.