Phrase guide

how long

adj · adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Used literally: what length.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • How long is that piece of string?
  • I don't know how long the Amazon River is.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Used literally: what duration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • How long are you here for? ~ Until the end of next month.
  • How long have you already been here (for)? ~ Since last Friday
  • How long is it to lunch?
  • How long ago did you stop playing tennis?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Used literally: for what duration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • How long have you lived in Chicago?
  • He won't tell me how long he is going to stay.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 多長 /多长 (duō cháng) — how long (distance)
  • Czech: jak dlouho — how long (distance)
  • Dutch: hoe lang — how long (distance)
  • Estonian: kui kaua — how long (distance)
  • Finnish: kuinka pitkä — how long (distance)
  • German: wie lange — how long (distance)
  • Hungarian: milyen hosszú — how long (distance)
  • Hungarian: mekkora — how long (distance)
  • Macedonian: колку долг (kolku dolg) — how long (distance)
  • Russian: како́й длины́ (kakój dliný) — how long (distance)
  • Scottish Gaelic: dè cho fad 's — how long (distance)
  • Scottish Gaelic: c' fhad — how long (distance)
  • Spanish: que largo — how long (distance)
  • Arabic: كَم وَقْتًا (kam waqtan) — how long (length of time)
  • Arabic: إِلَى مَتَى (ʔilā matā) — how long (length of time)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多久 (duōjiǔ) — how long (length of time)
  • Ngazidja Comorian: muda hindri — how long (length of time)
  • Danish: hvor længe — how long (length of time)
  • Finnish: kuinka pitkään — how long (length of time)
  • Finnish: kuinka kauan — how long (length of time)
  • French: pour combien de temps — how long (length of time)
  • French: depuis combien de temps — how long (length of time)
  • French: depuis quand — how long (length of time)
  • French: combien de temps — how long (length of time)
  • Georgian: რამდენი ხნით (ramdeni xnit) — how long (length of time)
  • Georgian: რამდენ ხანს (ramden xans) — how long (length of time)
  • Georgian: რა ხანგრძლივობით (ra xangrʒlivobit) — how long (length of time)
  • Georgian: რა ხანგრძლივობის (ra xangrʒlivobis) — how long (length of time)
  • German: wie lange — how long (length of time)
  • Hebrew: כַּמָּה זְמַן (káma zman) — how long (length of time)
  • Hebrew: עַד מָתַי ('ad matáy) — how long (length of time)
  • Hungarian: meddig — how long (length of time)
  • Hungarian: mennyi ideig — how long (length of time)
  • Hungarian: mióta — how long (length of time)
  • Hungarian: mennyi ideje — how long (length of time)
  • Irish: cá fhad — how long (length of time)
  • Irish: cén fad — how long (length of time)
  • Irish: cé chomh fada — how long (length of time)
  • Irish: cáide — how long (length of time)
  • Italian: quanto tempo — how long (length of time)
  • Italian: da quando — how long (length of time)
  • Japanese: どの位 (donokurai) — how long (length of time)
  • Japanese: どの位 (donogurai) — how long (length of time)
  • Japanese: どれくらい (dorekurai) — how long (length of time)
  • Japanese: どれぐらい (doregurai) — how long (length of time)
  • Khmer: ប៉ុន្មានត (ponmaan tɑɑ) — how long (length of time)
  • Khmer: យូរប៉ុណ្ណា (yuu ponnaa) — how long (length of time)
  • Korean: 얼마나 (eolmana) — how long (length of time)
  • Lao: ດົນປານໃດ (don pān dai) — how long (length of time)
  • Latin: quamdiu — how long (length of time)
  • Norman: combian d'temps — how long (length of time)
  • Polish: jak długo — how long (length of time)
  • Portuguese: quanto tempo — how long (length of time)
  • Portuguese: desde quando — how long (length of time)
  • Russian: как до́лго (kak dólgo) — how long (length of time)
  • Russian: ско́лько (skólʹko) — how long (length of time)
  • Scottish Gaelic: dè cho fad 's — how long (length of time)
  • Scottish Gaelic: c' fhad — how long (length of time)
  • Serbo-Croatian: koliko dugo? — how long (length of time)
  • Spanish: cuánto tiempo — how long (length of time)
  • Spanish: desde cuándo — how long (length of time)
  • Swedish: hur länge — how long (length of time)
  • Tagalog: gaano katagal — how long (length of time)
  • Telugu: ఎందాక (endāka) — how long (length of time)
  • Thai: นานแค่ไหน (naan kâe năi) — how long (length of time)
  • Thai: นานเท่าไร (naan tâo rai) — how long (length of time)
  • Vietnamese: bao lâu — how long (length of time)