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How to Say ‘Have you been in Japan long?’ in Japanese

日本は長いですか。

nihon wa nagai desu ka

[Nihon wah na-GAI dess ka]

💬 Usage Tip: Literally this is "Is Japan long?" With は (wa) plus 長い, it really means "have you been here long?" You can use the same pattern for a job: この会社は長いですか.

Phrase Breakdown

日本は

nihon wa

Japan (as for)

日本 (Nihon) plus the topic particle は, pronounced 'wa': 'Nihon wa'.

Example

日本は寒いですか。

Is Japan cold?

Words in this phrase

日本

nihon

[Nihon]

Japan

A country in East Asia located in the Pacific Ocean.

Example

日本の食事を楽しむ。

Enjoy a meal in Japan.

は

[wah]

topic marker

は marks the topic of the sentence.

Example

空席はありますか。

Are there any seats available?

長いですか。

nagai desu ka

has it been long?

This asks how long someone has been in Japan. Raise your pitch slightly on か.

Example

東京は長いですか。

Have you been in Tokyo long?

Words in this phrase

長い

nagai

[na-GAI]

long

I-adjective describing length or duration.

Example

彼女の髪は長いです。

Her hair is long.

です

desu

[dess]

is; polite copula

A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.

Example

少し伺いたいです。

I would like to ask a little.

か

[ka]

question particle

Used at the end of sentences to make a question.

Example

これは何ですか？

What is this?

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