Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| quanto tempo | /ˈkwan.to ˈtɛm.po/ (word by word) |
| da quando | /da ˈkwan.do/ (word by word) |
Use quanto tempo specifically when you want to measure a duration of time. Do not use it to ask about the physical length or distance of an object. You can also use the phrase Quanto tempo ci vuole…? to ask "How long does it take…?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase quanto tempo is a literal combination of quanto (how much) and tempo (time).
Which one should you use?
Quanto tempo is used to ask about the duration of an event, whereas da quando is used to ask about the starting point of a continuous state, effectively meaning "since when".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkwan.to ˈtɛm.po/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use quanto lungo to ask about time. However, lungo refers only to physical length or distance.
Did you know?
- The phrase quanto tempo is frequently used as a greeting among friends who have not seen each other in a while, effectively meaning 'Long time no see!'
- The Italian word tempo is used for both 'time' and 'weather'. Because of this, the phrase quanto tempo could be misinterpreted in a meteorological context if not for the surrounding conversation.
- The Italian word quanto is a direct relative of the English word 'quantum'. Both derive from the Latin quantus, which refers to an amount or size.
Examples in context
- Tu quanto tempo hai?How long do you have?Tatoeba #2031857 by Guybrush88, translation #1885896 by CK
- Quanto tempo è stato?How long did you stay?Tatoeba #1008378 by Guybrush88, translation #1373 by CK
- Quanto tempo ci vorrà?How long will it take?Tatoeba #611855 by Guybrush88, translation #24477 by CK
- Scusi, per quanto tempo lavora qui?Excuse me, how long have you been working here?
- Per quanto tempo durerà questa riunione?For how long will this meeting last?
- Scusi, per quanto tempo è valido questo contratto?Excuse me, how long is this contract valid?
- Per quanto tempo sei stato in vacanza?How long were you on vacation?
- Per quanto tempo aspettiamo ancora?How long do we still have to wait?
- Da quanto tempo studi italiano?For how long have you been studying Italian?
- Quanto tempo ci vuole per cucinare questa ricetta?How long does it take to cook this recipe?
- 387 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are talking about a movie at the cinema.
- SofiaQuanto tempo dura il film?How long does the movie last?
- LorenzoDue ore circa.About two hours.
- SofiaSperiamo che non sia troppo lungo.I hope it is not too long.
- LorenzoNon ti preoccupare, Sofia.Don't worry, Sofia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how long” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (quanto, tempo, da, quando) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries da, quando, quanto, tempo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
