đã lâu
Definition
- Adverb:
- For a long time; long ago: Indicates that a significant amount of time has passed since an event occurred or a state began. It emphasizes the duration or the distant point in the past.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Chúng tôi không gặp nhau đã lâu. (We have not seen each other for a long time.)
- Anh ấy chuyển đi đã lâu. (He moved away a long time ago.)
- Cô ấy đã lâu không về thăm quê. (It has been a long time since she last visited her hometown.)
Advanced Usage
Often used with the negative particle "không" to express that something has not happened for a long period.
- Tôi đã lâu không đọc sách. (It has been a long time since I read a book.)
Can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a clause to modify the temporal aspect of the entire statement.
- Đã lâu rồi tôi mới cảm thấy vui như vậy. (It's been a long time since I felt this happy.)
Variants and Related Words
Lâu rồi: A common colloquial variant with similar meaning ("for a long time now").
- Mình không xem phim lâu rồi. (I haven't watched a movie in a long time.)
Đã từ lâu: A more formal or emphatic phrase meaning "for a long time already".
- Dự án đó đã từ lâu không còn hoạt động. (That project has been inactive for a long time already.)
Synonyms
- For ages: For a very long time.
- Long since: A long time ago (often used with perfect tenses).
Related Idioms
- Đã lâu lắm rồi: An intensified form meaning "a very, very long time ago".
- Chuyện đó xảy ra đã lâu lắm rồi. (That happened a very, very long time ago.)
adverb
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long ago; a long time ago
