لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل
lam ʔaraka munḏu waqt ṭawīladdressee masculine
The English phrase "long time no see" can be expressed in Arabic as لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل (lam ʔaraka munḏu waqt ṭawīl). Wiktionary also lists لَم نَرَكَ مُنْذُ مُدَّة (lam naraka munḏu mudda) and لَم أَرَكِ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل (lam ʔaraki munḏu waqt ṭawīl).
Meaning: idiomatic: I (or we) have not seen you for a long time (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل | lam ʔaraka munḏu waqt ṭawīl | addressee masculine |
| لَم نَرَكَ مُنْذُ مُدَّة | lam naraka munḏu mudda | |
| لَم أَرَكِ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل | lam ʔaraki munḏu waqt ṭawīl | addressee masculine |
This phrase is an idiom used to express that you have not seen someone for a significant period of time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل literally translates to "I have not seen you since a long time".
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on who is speaking and who is being addressed. لَم أَرَكِ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل is used when addressing a female. لَم نَرَكَ مُنْذُ مُدَّة changes the subject from "I" to "we".
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a female, the phrase changes to end with the "ki" sound, as seen in لَم أَرَكِ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل. To change the subject from "I" to "we", the prefix changes from "a" to "na", resulting in لَم نَرَكَ مُنْذُ مُدَّة.
How do you pronounce it?
lam ʔaraka munḏu waqt ṭawīl
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, people avoid the literal 'long time no see' and instead say عاش من شافك which means 'He lived who saw you'.
- In many Arab cultures, after saying you have not seen someone for a long time, it is common to follow up with a physical gesture of warmth, such as a double cheek kiss or a hug.
- While the formal phrase provided is used in writing, speakers in the Levant often use وين غايب which literally asks 'Where have you been absent?'
Examples in context
- وقت طويل منذ أن رأيتك. كيف حالك؟It has been a long time since I saw you. How are you?
- لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل، كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟lam araka mundhu waqtin tawīl, kayfa hāluka?Long time no see, how are you?
- أَهْلًا يَا صَدِيقِي، لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل.ahlan yā ṣadīqī, lam araka mundhu waqtin tawīl.Hello my friend, long time no see.
- لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل، أَيْنَ كُنْتَ؟lam araka mundhu waqtin tawīl, ayna kunta?Long time no see, where have you been?
Example conversation
Two friends run into each other at a cafe.
- مريم Maryamلَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل يَا زياد!lam araka mundhu waqtin tawīl yā Ziyād!Long time no see, Ziyad!
- زياد Ziadأَهْلًا مريم! نَعَم، لَم نَلْتَقِ مُنْذُ مُدَّة.ahlan Maryam! na'am, lam naltaqi mundhu mudda.Hello Maryam! Yes, it has been a while.
- مريم Maryamكَيْفَ هِيَ الْأُمُورُ عِنْدَكَ؟kayfa hiya al-umūru 'indaka?How are things with you?
- زياد Ziadكُلُّ شَيْءٍ جَيِّد، شُكْرًا لَكِ.kullu shay'in jayyid, shukran laki.Everything is good, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long time no see” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
