時間(じかん)がかかる

One of the most common expressions for saying something "takes time" in Japanese. The verb かかる here means "to require" or "to cost" (time, money, effort).

Common patterns

• 時間(じかん)がかかる — it takes time
• 時間(じかん)がかからない — it doesn't take long
• どのくらい時間(じかん)がかかりますか — how long does it take?
• 〜に時間(じかん)がかかる — it takes time for ~
• 思(おも)ったより時間(じかん)がかかった — it took longer than expected

Specific durations

• 30分(ぷん)かかる — it takes 30 minutes
• 2時間(じかん)かかる — it takes 2 hours
• 半日(はんにち)かかる — it takes half a day

Similar words

• 手間(てま)がかかる — to require effort/trouble (focuses on labor rather than time)
• 時間(じかん)を要(よう)する — to require time (formal/written)
• 時間(じかん)を費(つい)やす — to spend time on (emphasizes the spending of time)

Usage

Note the particle が (not を) before かかる. This is because かかる is an intransitive verb — time "falls upon" the activity, rather than someone spending it.