dauer

Dauer is a German noun that denotes the duration or the length of time of a process, event, or state. It answers how long something lasts from its beginning to its end and is distinct from Zeit, which more generally refers to time itself; Laufzeit is often used for the running time or period of validity of a device, program, or contract. The verb form is dauern, meaning to last.

Etymology and usage notes: Dauer stems from Old High German dūr and Middle High German daur, with related terms in other Germanic languages indicating lasting. The related adjective dauernd describes something that is lasting or continuous.

In everyday language, Dauer is used to specify time spans, as in Die Dauer des Projekts beträgt zwei Wochen (The duration of the project is two weeks). In music theory, Dauer refers to the duration or length of notes and rests within a rhythm. In film, television, and broadcasting, Dauer can denote the running time of a work, though Laufzeit is more common. In philosophy, the German translation Die Dauer is used for the concept of duration, notably in discussions of Henri Bergson’s idea of the qualitative, subjective flow of time. In science and engineering, terms like Verarbeitungsdauer or Ausführungsdauer describe the processing or execution time of tasks.

Dauer also appears in legal, administrative, and everyday contexts to specify the length of contracts, licenses, subscriptions, or other time-bound arrangements. Overall, Dauer functions as a core term for expressing how long something lasts in time.