take time

English

Verb

take time (third-person singular simple present takes time, present participle taking time, simple past took time, past participle taken time)

1. To require a comparatively long period of time.

   Learning a foreign language takes time.

   It takes time to get used to having a step-parent.

   • 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 98:

     After World War II it took time to clear up the arrears of track maintenance on both lines and it was not until 1953 that the L.M.R. restored any two-hour schedules, the W.R. following suit a year later.

2. To volunteer to spend one's time (for a purpose or beneficiary).

   He took time to help us with his son with his homework.

   He took time for his son.

Synonyms

• (require a comparatively long period of time): take a long time, take some time
• (volunteer to spend one's time): make time for, take the time

Derived terms

• take time to smell the roses

Translations

to require a long period of time

• Asturian: vagar
• Dutch: tijd nodig hebben
• French: prendre du temps (fr)
• Galician: enredar, levar tempo
• German: Zeit brauchen
• Portuguese: demorar (pt), levar tempo, tardar (pt)
• Spanish: llevar tiempo, tomar tiempo, requerir tiempo

to volunteer to spend one's time

• Dutch: de tijd nemen
• French: prendre le temps (fr) (de faire quelque chose), prendre de son temps (pour faire quelque chose)
• Italian: prendersi la briga
• Spanish: dedicar tiempo

See also

• take the time
• take one's time
• take time by the forelock
• take time off, take time out