Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| cuánto tiempo | /ˌkwanto ˈtjempo/ |
| cuánto tiempo sin verte | /kwanto tjempo sin beɾte/ (from spelling rules) |
| tanto tiempo sin vernos | /tanto tjempo sin beɾnos/ (from spelling rules) |
| dichosos los ojos que te ven | /diˌt͡ʃosos los ˌoxos ke te ˈben/ |
| a los años | /a los aɲos/ (from spelling rules) |
| hace tiempo que no nos vemos | /aθe tjempo ke no nos bemos/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /ase tjempo ke no nos bemos/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
| hace mucho que no te veo | /aθe mut͡ʃo ke no te beo/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /ase mut͡ʃo ke no te beo/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
| añales sin verte | /aɲales sin beɾte/ (from spelling rules) |
| añares sin vernos | /aɲaɾes sin beɾnos/ (from spelling rules) |
| añales que no te veo | /aɲales ke no te beo/ (from spelling rules) |
| añares que no nos vemos | /aɲaɾes ke no nos bemos/ (from spelling rules) |
| dichosos los ojos | /dit͡ʃosos los oxos/ (from spelling rules) |
You can use standalone exclamations like cuánto tiempo to mean 'long time no see', or more complete sentences like hace mucho que no te veo to state that it has been a long time since you last saw the person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cuánto tiempo sin verte literally translates to 'how much time without seeing you'.
Which one should you use?
Use cuánto tiempo sin verte when speaking to one person. If you want to emphasize the time that has passed since 'we' last saw each other, use cuánto tiempo sin vernos.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The short exclamation cuánto tiempo is used in casual conversation. The expression ¡Cuánto tiempo sin verte! is an informal exclamation. For a more idiomatic and expressive way to show genuine delight at seeing someone, you can use dichosos los ojos que te ven.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, it is typical to say ¡Tanto tiempo sin verte, che! In Cuba, the expression ¡Qué bola, hace siglos que no te veo! can be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form hace mucho que no te veo uses the 'hace + time + que' construction to express how much time has passed since an action occurred.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkwanto ˈtjempo/
Did you know?
- The word tiempo shares a root with the English word 'temperature', as both come from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to stretch'.
- The phrase dichosos los ojos que te ven attributes the luck to the eyes of the speaker rather than the person being seen.
Examples in context
- ¡Cuánto tiempo sin vernos!Long time no see!This example shows an exclamation using cuánto tiempo.Tatoeba #1679886 by termito2nd, translation #1230521 by alec
- Cuánto tiempo sin verte.Long time no see.This example uses cuánto tiempo in a sentence.
- Hombre, ¡cuánto tiempo!Hey man, long time no see!This example shows how to use cuánto tiempo as a casual greeting.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo run into each other at a café.
- Sofía¡Mateo, cuánto tiempo!Mateo, long time no see!
- Mateo¡Hola, Sofía! Sí, cuánto tiempo.Hi, Sofia! Yes, it's been a long time.
- Sofía¿Cómo has estado?How have you been?
- MateoMuy bien, ¿y tú?Very well, and you?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long time no see” translations and entries cuánto tiempo, dichosos los ojos que te ven, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuánto, cuánto tiempo, dichosos los ojos que te ven, los, que, sin, tanto, tiempo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
