longtemps

See also: long-temps

French

Etymology

From long +‎ temps, from Old French lonc tans. Ultimately inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos, which is also where the English long time came from. The French term is a partial cognate, not a calque, of the English one.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɔ̃.tɑ̃/

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Adverb

longtemps

1. for a long time; over a long period

   Ça fait longtemps que ton frère habite chez toi ?

   Has your brother been living at your place for a long time?

   C'était comme ça il y a longtemps, mais plus maintenant.

   It was like that a long time ago, but not anymore.

Derived terms

• avant longtemps
• de longtemps

Further reading

• “longtemps”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.