كَم وَقْتًا
kam waqtan
In Arabic, the phrase "how long" can be expressed as كَم وَقْتًا (kam waqtan) or إِلَى مَتَى depending on the context.
Meaning: how long (length of time) (adv)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| كَم وَقْتًا | kam waqtan |
| إِلَى مَتَى | ʔilā matā |
Which one should you use?
While both can translate to "how long", إِلَى مَتَى literally means "until when" and is used to ask how much longer a situation will continue. كَم وَقْتًا translates more directly to "how much time".
How do you pronounce it?
kam waqtan
Did you know?
- The word وقت ('time') shares a root with the Arabic word for 'fixed' or 'appointed', reflecting an ancient view of time as a series of predestined moments.
- If you use إِلَى مَتَى to ask how long a party lasts, you might sound like you are impatiently asking 'until when will this end?', which can come across as rude.
- In spoken Arabic, the question 'how long' is often answered not with a number of minutes, but with the word شوية ('a little bit'), which can flexibly mean anything from five minutes to several hours.
Examples in context
- إِلَى مَتَى سَتَبْقَى فِي شَنَجِهاي؟For how long are you in Shanghai?This sentence is useful for asking how long someone will stay in a location using إِلَى مَتَى.Tatoeba #397225 by kellenparker, translation #347804 by sysko
- ما المُدَّةُ التِّي قَضِيْتَهَا عَلَى الْمَشْروَعِ؟What is the duration you spent on the project?
- مِنْ مَتَى تَعْرِفُ الْمُضِيْفَ؟Since when do you know the host?
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are discussing a project deadline.
- عمر Omarكَم وَقْتًا نَحْتَاجُ لِإِنْهَاءِ العَمَلِ يَا نُور؟kam waqtan nahtaju li-inha'i al-amal ya Nour?How long do we need to finish the work, Nour?
- نور Nourأَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّنَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى يَوْمَيْنِ.a'taqidu annana nahtaju ila yawmayn.I think we need two days.
- عمر Omarهَلْ هَذَا وَقْتٌ كَافٍ؟hal hadha waqtun kafin?Is this enough time?
- نور Nourنَعَم، هُوَ كَافٍ جِدًّا.na'am, huwa kafin jiddan.Yes, it is very enough.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how long” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
