A stylized image showing an open book spanning across a visual transition from a dark night sky to a bright morning sky, symbolizing an activity occurring over a duration of time.

durante

/doo-RAHN-teh/

PrepositionA1

during?within a period of time

Also:for?to express the duration of an action

📝 In Action

Estudié durante toda la noche.

I studied during the whole night.

Hablamos durante dos horas.

We talked for two hours.

Durante el verano, la ciudad está llena de turistas.

During the summer, the city is full of tourists.

No se puede usar el teléfono durante el examen.

You can't use your phone during the exam.

Word Connections

Synonyms

por (for (a period of time))

Common Collocations

durante todo el día – all day long
durante la noche – during the night
durante años – for years
durante la semana – during the week

💡 Grammar Points

Telling 'How Long'

Use 'durante' to say how long something lasts or when something happens within a specific period of time. It answers the questions 'for how long?' or 'when?'

❌ Common Pitfalls

'Durante' vs. 'Mientras'

Mistake: "Leí un libro durante mi hermana cocinaba."

Correction: Use 'mientras' for two actions happening at the same time: 'Leí un libro mientras mi hermana cocinaba.' (I read a book while my sister was cooking). 'Durante' is followed by a thing (a noun), like 'durante la película' (during the movie).

Using 'Por' for Duration

Mistake: "Hablé por el teléfono durante una hora."

Correction: Often, you can use either 'por' or 'durante' for duration: 'Hablé por teléfono durante una hora' or 'Hablé por teléfono por una hora.' Both are correct and mean 'I talked on the phone for an hour.' 'Durante' can feel a bit more formal or precise.

⭐ Usage Tips

Optional But Clear

Sometimes you can leave 'durante' out, especially with simple time expressions. For example, 'Hablamos dos horas' is very common. But including 'durante' ('Hablamos durante dos horas') adds clarity and emphasizes the entire duration.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: durante

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly says 'We lived in Mexico for three years'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

durar(to last) - verb

duración(duration) - noun

duradero(durable, long-lasting) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I always use 'por' instead of 'durante'?

Often, yes, when talking about a length of time (e.g., 'Estudié por/durante dos horas'). However, 'durante' is better for saying something happened *within* a named period, like 'durante el verano' (during the summer) or 'durante la clase' (during the class). In these cases, 'por' doesn't work.

Is 'durante' a verb?

No, it's a preposition. It looks like a verb because it comes from the verb 'durar' (to last), but in a sentence, it works like 'during' or 'for' in English to connect ideas.