Definition

1. Adverbial phrase:
   • For a long time / Over a long period: Indicates that a considerable amount of time has passed since an event occurred or a state began. It emphasizes the duration of the elapsed time.

Usage Examples

• Adverbial phrase:
  • Lâu ngày không gặp, anh có khỏe không? (Long time no see, are you well?)
  • Cái máy này lâu ngày không dùng nên bị hỏng. (This machine hasn't been used for a long time, so it's broken.)
  • Lâu ngày tôi mới trở lại quê hương. (It's been a long time since I returned to my hometown.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used at the beginning of a clause to set the temporal context for the statement that follows. It can imply a sense of nostalgia, change, or consequence resulting from the passage of time.
  • Lâu ngày, tình bạn đó cũng phai nhạt. (Over a long time, that friendship faded.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đã lâu (adv. phrase): for a long time (often used similarly but can sound slightly more formal or literary).

  • Chúng tôi đã không liên lạc đã lâu. (We haven't been in contact for a long time.)

• Bấy lâu (adv. phrase): all this time, for this long (often used in reflective contexts).

  • Bấy lâu nay tôi vẫn tin anh. (All this time, I have still trusted you.)

Synonyms

• For ages: a very long time (informal).
• For a long while: over an extended period.
• Over time: gradually during a long period.

Related Idioms

• Lâu ngày lâu tháng: An extended form emphasizing a very long, drawn-out period, often with a negative connotation of monotony or waiting.
  • Công việc cứ lặp đi lặp lại lâu ngày lâu tháng. (The work just repeats itself month after month, year after year.)