Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
A long time ago; at some time in the past (a traditional beginning of children's stories, especially fairy tales).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a beautiful princess.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Formerly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
139 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Abenaki:
agwa
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Albanian:
na ishte njëherë
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Arabic:
كَان يَامَا كَان
(kān yāmā kān)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Algerian Arabic:
جيتك ما جيتك
(jaytek mā jaytek)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Arabic:
حاجيتك ما جيتك
(ḥājītak mā jītak)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Armenian:
կար-չկար
(kar-čʻkar)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Armenian:
լինում է, չի լինում
(linum ē, čʻi linum)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
ello foi una vegada
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
ello foi una vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
una vez yera
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
yera una vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
esto yera
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
eso yera
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Asturian:
una vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Azerbaijani:
biri var idi, biri yox idi
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Azerbaijani:
günlərin bir günündə
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Bashkir:
борон-борон заманда
(boron-boron zamanda)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Basque:
bazen behin
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Basque:
behin batean
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Bengali:
একদা
(ekoda)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Breton:
ur wech e oa
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Bulgarian:
и́мало едно́ вре́ме
(ímalo ednó vréme)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Catalan:
hi havia una vegada
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Catalan:
això era una vegada
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Cebuano:
kaniadtong panahona
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Chinese Mandarin:
很久很久以前
(hěnjiǔ hěnjiǔ yǐqián)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Chinese Mandarin:
從前 /从前
(cóngqián)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Czech:
bylo nebylo
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Danish:
der var engang
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Dutch:
er was eens
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Esperanto:
iam estis
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Estonian:
oli kord
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Estonian:
elas kord
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Estonian:
üks kord ennemuistsel ajal
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Estonian:
ükskord
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Faroese:
einaferð var tað
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Finnish:
olipa kerran
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Finnish:
olipa kerran kauan sitten
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
French:
il était une fois
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
French:
il y avait une fois
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Galician:
había unha vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Galician:
cando os animais falaban
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Georgian:
იყო და არა იყო რა
(iq̇o da ara iq̇o ra)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Georgian:
იყო და არა იყო რა, ღვთის უკეთესი რა იქნებოდა
(iq̇o da ara iq̇o ra, ɣvtis uḳetesi ra ikneboda)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
German:
es war einmal
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Greek:
μια φορά κι έναν καιρό
(mia forá ki énan kairó)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Greek:
μια φορά ήταν δεν ήταν
(mia forá ítan den ítan)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Ancient Greek:
ἦν γάρ ποτε χρόνος
(ên gár pote khrónos)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Ancient Greek:
οὕτω ποτ’ ἦν μῦς καὶ γαλῆ
(hoútō pot’ ên mûs kaì galê)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Hamer-Banna:
ɛ́na waɗénka
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Hebrew:
הָיֹה הָיָה
(hayó hayá)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Hindi:
किसी ज़माने में
(kisī zamāne mẽ)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Hungarian:
egyszer volt, hol nem volt
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Hungarian:
hol volt, hol nem volt
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Icelandic:
einu sinni var
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Icelandic:
það var einu sinni
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Ido:
olim
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Igbo:
orue otu mgbe
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Indonesian:
pada suatu hari
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Indonesian:
pada zaman dahulu
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Interlingua:
il era un vice
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Interlingua:
olim
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Irish:
feacht n-aon
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Irish:
fadó fadó
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Irish:
tráth dá raibh
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Irish:
lá den saol
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Italian:
c'era una volta
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Jamaican Creole:
one time
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Japanese:
昔昔
(mukashi-mukashi)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Japanese:
昔々
(mukashi-mukashi)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Japanese:
今は昔
(ima wa mukashi)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Khmer:
កាលពីព្រេងនាយ
(kaal pii preing niəy)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Khmer:
កាលដើមឡើយ
(kaaldaəmlaəy)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Komi-Zyrian:
оліс-выліс
(olis-vylis)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Korean:
옛날 옛적에
(yennal yetjeog-e)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Korean:
옛날 옛적
(yennal yetjeok)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Central Kurdish:
ڕۆژێ لە ڕۆژان
(rojê le rojan)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Central Kurdish:
ھەبوو نەبوو
(hebû nebû)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Northern Kurdish:
hebû tune bû
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Northern Kurdish:
hebû nebû
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Northern Kurdish:
rojek ji rojan
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Northern Kurdish:
carekê ji caran
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Latin:
ōlim
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Latvian:
reiz sensenos laikos
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Lithuanian:
seniai, labai seniai
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Malay:
pada suatu masa
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Malay:
pada suatu hari
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Malayalam:
ഒരിക്കൽ
(orikkal)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Malayalam:
പണ്ടൊരിക്കൽ
(paṇṭorikkal)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Māori:
tērā tētahi
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Māori:
tērā ētahi
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Norwegian Bokmål:
det var en gang
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Norwegian Nynorsk:
det var ein gong
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Old English:
ǣr
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Old English:
ġēara
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Old English:
ġēardagum
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Old English:
fyrn
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Old English:
ġefyrn
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Iranian Persian:
یِکی بود یِکی نَبود
(yeki bud yeki nabud)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Iranian Persian:
روزی روزِگاری
(ruzi ruzegâri)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Iranian Persian:
روزی اَز روزْها
(ruzi az ruzhâ)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Plautdietsch:
donnemol
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Polish:
pewnego razu
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Polish:
dawno, dawno temu
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Polish:
za górami, za lasami
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Portuguese:
era uma vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Portuguese:
havia uma vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Romanian:
a fost odată
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Romanian:
a fost odată ca niciodată
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Russian:
жи́ли-бы́ли
(žíli-býli)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Russian:
давны́м-давно́
(davným-davnó)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Russian:
в тридевя́том ца́рстве, в тридеся́том госуда́рстве
(v tridevjátom cárstve, v tridesjátom gosudárstve)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Sanskrit:
पुराकाले
(purākāle)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Sanskrit:
कदाचित्
(kadācit)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Sardinian:
B'aiat una borta
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Scottish Gaelic:
bha siud ann uaireigin
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Sinhala:
එකෝමත් එක කාලෙක
(ekōmat eka kāleka)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Spanish:
érase una vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Spanish:
había una vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Spanish:
era una vez
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Sranan Tongo:
er tin tin
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Swahili:
hapo zamani za kale
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Swedish:
det var en gång
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Tagalog:
noong unang panahon
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Tamil:
முன்னொரு காலத்தில்
(muṉṉoru kālattil)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Tamil:
முன்னொரு காலத்துல
(muṉṉoru kālattula)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Telugu:
ఒకానొకప్పుడు
(okānokappuḍu)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Telugu:
అనగనగా
(anaganagā)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Thai:
กาลครั้งหนึ่ง
(gaa-lá-kráng-nʉ̀ng)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Tok Pisin:
bipo tru
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Turkish:
bir varmış, bir yokmuş
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Ukrainian:
жи́ли-були́
(žýly-bulý)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Ukrainian:
давни́м-давно́
(davným-davnó)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Unami:
kwëtën
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Urdu:
کِسی زَمانے میں
(kisī zamāne mẽ)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Vietnamese:
ngày xửa ngày xưa
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Welsh:
unwaith
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Wolof:
amone nafi
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales
-
Yiddish:
אַ מאָל
(a mol)
— traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales