durar

Durar is a Spanish verb meaning to last, endure, or remain in effect for a period of time. It is used to describe the duration of events, conditions, or experiences, rather than acting upon a direct object. Examples include La película duró dos horas (The movie lasted two hours) and La paciencia duró poco (The patience lasted little). The verb typically expresses temporal length or persistence in various contexts, from physical endurance to the durability of objects or situations.

Etymology and related forms: Durar comes from Latin durare, itself from durus meaning hard or tough. It is cognate with related verbs in other Romance languages, such as Portuguese durar. The semantic core centers on time or endurance rather than action.

Conjugation and usage: Durar is a regular -ar verb, following standard endings for this class. Present indicative forms are: yo duro, tú duras, él/ella/usted dura, nosotros duramos, vosotros duráis, ellos/ellas/ustedes duran. Preterite forms: duré, duraste, duró, duramos, durasteis, duraron. Imperfect forms: duraba, durabas, duraba, durábamos, durabais, duraban. Subjunctive present: dure, dures, dure, duramos, duréis, duren. Imperative: dura (tú), dure (usted), duramos (nosotros), durad (vosotros), duren (ustedes). Durar is commonly used with time expressions such as por dos horas, durante dos días, or duró toda la noche.

In summary, durar is a versatile, regular Spanish verb centered on duration and endurance, widely used to convey how long something persists.