bao lâu
Definition
- Interrogative phrase:
- How long? (duration): Used to ask about the length of time an action or state lasts.
- How much longer? / In how long? (future point): Used to ask about the amount of time remaining until a future event happens.
Usage Examples
- Asking about duration:
- Anh sẽ ở đây bao lâu? (How long will you stay here?)
- Chuyến bay kéo dài bao lâu? (How long does the flight last?)
- Asking about a future point:
- Bao lâu nữa thì xe buýt đến? (How much longer until the bus arrives? / In how long will the bus arrive?)
- Chúng ta phải đợi bao lâu? (How long do we have to wait?)
Advanced Usage
- 'không bao lâu': not long, soon, before long. This phrase indicates that something will happen after a short period of time.
- Cô ấy vừa mới đến, và không bao lâu sau thì anh ấy cũng tới. (She had just arrived, and not long after, he came too.)
- Họ sẽ trở về không bao lâu nữa. (They will return before long.)
Variants and Related Words
- Bao nhiêu lâu?: This is a very close synonym and is often used interchangeably with 'bao lâu' to ask "how long?" in terms of duration.
- Anh đã học tiếng Việt bao nhiêu lâu? (How long have you been studying Vietnamese?)
- Lâu: (Adjective/Adverb) A long time. This is the core word meaning "long" in terms of time.
- Đã lâu rồi tôi không gặp cô ấy. (It's been a long time since I saw her.)
Synonyms
- Trong bao lâu?: For how long? (Emphasizes the span of time within which something occurs).
- Mất bao lâu?: How long does it take? (Specifically asks about the time required to complete an action).
Related Phrases
- Được bao lâu?: How long has it been? / How long will it last? (Often used to question the sustainability or current duration of a state).
- Mối quan hệ này sẽ được bao lâu? (How long will this relationship last?)
- Bao lâu một lần?: How often? (Literally: "How long once?" – used to ask about frequency).
- Bạn tập thể dục bao lâu một lần? (How often do you exercise?)