Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| ça fait longtemps ! |
| ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vu ! |
| ça fait un bail ! |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ça fait longtemps literally translates to "it makes a long time".
Which one should you use?
While ça fait longtemps ! is standard and can be used in most social settings, ça fait un bail ! is much more casual and used among friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you want to be very casual or are speaking with friends, use ça fait un bail ! For very formal situations, instead of using these idiomatic expressions, you might say Je suis ravi(e) de vous revoir après une longue absence (I'm delighted to see you again after a long absence) or Nous n'avons pas eu l'occasion de nous voir depuis un moment (We haven't had the opportunity to see each other for a while).
How does it change in a sentence?
The longer form ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vu uses the passé composé to describe the period of time since the last meeting.
Did you know?
- The casual phrase ça fait un bail ! uses the word bail, which refers to a 'lease' or a 'rental agreement' in English. Using it here creates an image of a period of time so long it feels like a formal legal contract.
- Before pas became the standard, French speakers used words like goutte meaning 'a drop' or mie meaning 'a crumb' to create negative sentences.
- In very casual spoken French, the ne in qu'on ne s'est pas vu is frequently dropped entirely by native speakers.
Examples in context
- Salut, ça fait un bail !Hello, long time no see!This example shows a greeting using the informal ça fait un bail !Tatoeba #12658765 by Olcyx, translation #12658892 by Olcyx
- Ça fait un bail !Long time no see!This example shows the standalone use of the informal ça fait un bail !Tatoeba #5683225 by Toutanmemtan, translation #1230521 by alec
- Oh, Hans, ça fait longtemps !Oh, Hans, long time no see!This example shows the use of the standard ça fait longtemps ! when addressing someone.Tatoeba #14021325 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #14021324 by Ioan_Cristian
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé run into each other at a cafe.
- HugoSalut Chloé, ça fait longtemps !Hi Chloé, long time no see!
- ChloéC'est vrai, Hugo, comment vas-tu ?It's true, Hugo, how are you?
- HugoJe vais très bien, merci.I am doing very well, thank you.
- ChloéMoi aussi, je suis ravie de te voir.Me too, I am delighted to see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long time no see” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fait, longtemps, ne, pas, un, vu, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
