Tardar vs tomar vs durar vs levar

Question

Can we get a lesson on when to use which word? They seem to all be very similar in describing how long something takes.

Accepted Answer

Hola Michael
There are different ways to talk about how long something takes or lasts. In Kwiziq our lessons are a bit more precise so that they are testable. This sort of content as you're suggesting, which is very interesting, would make a lesson with a lot more complexity though. We do have lessons on llevar and tardar for expressing length of time. As per durar and llevar we don't have any lesson at the moment. I'll note it down to consider to extend the content. 
As a quick explanation for durar, a verb used to express for how long something, an event, a process, a film, a concert, a play (this is normally what the verb durar is used for) exists or develops, I'll give you some examples so you can see how it's used:

La película duró dos horas y media. 
The film was 2 and a half hours long. (lasted 2.5 hours)
 
- ¿Cuánto duró el concierto? - Duró 3 horas.
- How long was the concert?  - It lasted 3 hours.
 
El dolor durará solo un par de minutos.
The pain will last for a couple of minutes only.

The verbs tomar and llevar are used differently. This is when we talk about how long something takes but I'd say there is some action involved from a person. For example:

Toma/lleva mucho tiempo adaptarse a la vida del campo.
Getting used to country life takes a long time.
Confeccionar un vestido como este tomaría/llevaría al menos dos semanas.
To make a dress like this would take at least two weeks.

Tomar and llevar used this way are generally interchangeable.
Tardar could also be used in the sentences above, but not exactly in the same way. 
Here is our Kwiziq lesson on tardar.
You may also want to look at llevar.
Gracias y un saludo cordial.
Inma