longtemps
/lɔ̃.tɑ̃/
The French word for "long time" is longtemps.
longtemps is an adverb used to refer to a lengthy duration. It is commonly used in greetings, such as Ça fait longtemps ! (It's been a long time!), to acknowledge that you have not seen someone for a while.
Meaning: used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word longtemps is a combination of the adjective long (long) and the noun temps (time), though in modern French it functions as a single adverb.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverb, longtemps does not change its form based on gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /lɔ̃.tɑ̃/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly write this as two separate words long temps, but it is always written as the single word longtemps.
When do people say it?
When greeting someone you have not been in contact with for a long time, it is standard to say Ça fait longtemps ! to acknowledge the lapse in time.
Did you know?
- When saying Ça fait longtemps !, French speakers may accompany the phrase with la bise, the traditional gesture of kissing both cheeks, even if the gap in time was several years.
- While Ça fait longtemps ! is common, French speakers often use the phrase Ça date ! as a more colloquial way to say it has been a long time since something happened.
- In very formal or literary French, a speaker might use the phrase il y a fort longtemps to emphasize that a 'very long time' has passed, using 'fort' instead of the usual 'très'.
Examples in context
- Ça fait si longtemps !It has been such a long time.Tatoeba #3745209 by sacredceltic, translation #3719586 by Hybrid
- Tu as dormi longtemps.You've slept a long time.This sentence uses longtemps to describe how long someone has slept.Tatoeba #7955656 by Aiji, translation #2545031 by CK
- Je me suis longtemps tut.I have been silent for a long time.This sentence uses longtemps to describe how long someone has been silent.Tatoeba #1220836 by sacredceltic, translation #277989 by CC
- J'ai attendu longtempsI waited a long time
- Cela fait longtemps que je ne t'ai pas vuIt's been a long time since I last saw you
- Ils sont amis depuis longtempsThey have been friends for a long time
- Il était absent depuis longtempsHe had been absent for a long time
- Elle a habité en France pendant longtempsShe lived in France for a long time
- Il a cherché pendant longtempsHe searched for a long time
- On se connaît depuis l'école, ça fait une éternitéWe've known each other since school, it's been an eternity
- On ne s'est pas vus depuis un bailWe haven't seen each other for a while
- Il était parti pendant tellement longtempsHe was gone for such a long time
- Nous n'avons pas dansé depuis des lustresWe haven't danced in ages
- Elle est restée absente pendant une éternitéShe was absent for an eternity
- Cela fait un bail que je ne suis pas allé à la plageIt's been a while since I went to the beach
- On ne s'est pas vus depuis longtemps, ça fait une éternité !We haven't seen each other for a long time, it feels like an eternity!
- 414 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends run into each other at a cafe.
- ManonSalut Hugo ! Ça fait longtemps.Hi Hugo! It's been a long time.
- HugoOh, salut Manon ! Oui, c'est vrai.Oh, hi Manon! Yes, it's true.
- ManonComment vas-tu depuis tout ce temps ?How have you been all this time?
- HugoTrès bien, et toi ?Very well, and you?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry longtemps, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
