took (time), occupied, took up (space/place)
Накрыть на стол заняло у Мэри только несколько минут.
It took Mary only a few minutes to set the table.
Сколько времени у вас заняло восстановление после операции?
How long did it take you to recover after the surgery?
It would take forever.
Написание отчёта заняло у неё много времени.
Writing the report took her a long time.