dauern
to last
To take a certain amount of time or extend over a certain period of time.
EXAMPLE
Die Zugfahrt von Hamburg nach München dauert etwa sechs Stunden.
The train journey from Hamburg to Munich lasts about six hours.
dauern
to last
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Meanings
dauern
to feel sorry for
Used with a dative object to express pity or regret for someone. This usage is rather elevated or outdated.
EXAMPLE
Der arme Kerl dauert mich wirklich, wie er da im Regen steht.
I really feel sorry for the poor guy, standing there in the rain like that.
Usage tips
Sentence structure with 'es'
'Dauern' (to last) is very often used with the impersonal pronoun 'es' (it) as the subject. This is especially common in questions and general time statements.
EXAMPLE
Wie lange dauert es noch bis zum nächsten Halt?
How much longer is it until the next stop?
Time expression in the accusative
The duration of an action or event is in the accusative. The subject of the sentence is the thing that takes time.
EXAMPLE
Der Film dauert fast drei Stunden.
The film lasts almost three hours.
Dative construction
In the rare meaning 'leidtun' (to make someone feel sorry), the person who feels pity is in the dative. The subject of the sentence is the person or thing one feels sorry for.
EXAMPLE
Das verletzte Tier dauert mich sehr.
I feel very sorry for the injured animal.
Elevated style
The meaning 'leidtun' (to make someone feel sorry) or 'Mitleid erregen' (to arouse pity) is outdated and is now used only in literary or very elevated contexts. It practically does not occur in modern everyday speech.
EXAMPLE
Deine traurige Geschichte dauert mich.
Your sad story moves me to pity.
Compare with
dauern vs gehen
to go
Gehen can indicate the duration of certain events or offerings, but its use depends more heavily on the usual phrasing. Dauern refers to a period of time in general and therefore fits more situations. With a film, both words are possible.
dauern
Der Film dauert zwei Stunden.
The film lasts two hours.
gehen
Der Film geht zwei Stunden.
The film runs for two hours.
In real life
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