lang
/laŋ(k)/
The German word for long is lang.
lang is an adjective used to describe something that has much distance from one point to another. When you want to express that something is long in terms of a duration of time, the adverbial form lange is used instead.
Meaning: having much distance from one point to another (adj)
Which one should you use?
The adjective lang describes physical length, while the related form lange is an adverb used to describe a long duration of time. For even more intensity in informal speech, you might hear mega lang.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While lang is the adjective for physical length, you must use the form lange when you are using the word as an adverb to describe a duration of time.
How do you pronounce it?
/laŋ(k)/
Did you know?
- If you describe a person as 'lang' in a very casual context, it might refer to their height rather than a physical object's measurement.
- In some German dialects, the final 'g' in lang is pronounced more like a soft 'ch' sound, similar to the 'ch' in 'ich'.
- The word lang is a linguistic 'cognate' of the English word 'long', meaning they share a common ancestor from thousands of years ago.
Examples in context
- Es ist zu lang.It's too long.This sentence uses lang to describe a state of being too long.Tatoeba #6645017 by Felixjp, translation #2249327 by CK
- Das ist zu lang.This is too long.Tatoeba #1654735 by samueldora, translation #55500 by CK
- Der Weg ist lang.The road is long.This sentence uses lang to describe the length of a road.Tatoeba #693678 by Esperantostern, translation #370546 by saeb
- ein langer TagA long day
- eine lange ReiseA long journey
- ein ausgedehntes FeldAn extensive field
- Das Meeting dauert länger als üblichThe meeting is lasting longer than usual
- Die Schlange war ewig langThe line was incredibly long
- Die Party ging mega langThe party went on for a really long time
- Es ist noch ein weiter WegThere's still a long way to go
- 3779 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are discussing a movie they just watched.
- LauraDer Film war sehr lang.The movie was very long.
- JulianJa, er war extrem lang.Yes, it was extremely long.
- LauraIch bin jetzt sehr müde.I am very tired now.
- JulianGehen wir dann nach Hause?Shall we go home then?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long” translations and entries lang, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
