How to Say ‘Have you been waiting long?’ in Simplified Chinese
等很久了吗？
děng hěn jiǔ le ma
[dung hen jiǔ le ma]
💬 Usage Tip: Add 吗 (ma) to the end of any statement to turn it into a yes/no question, with no change in word order. 等很久了 means "(you've) waited a long time," and adding 吗 makes it a question.
Phrase Breakdown
等
děng
[dung]
to wait
Describes the act of staying prepared or in expectation for something to happen.
我在等班车。
I am waiting for the bus.
很
hěn
[hen]
very
An adverb meaning “very,” often used before adjectives in polite conversation.
这个活动很热闹，“很”常用来加强语气。
This event is lively; 很 is often used to strengthen the tone.
久
jiǔ
[jiǔ]
long (time)
Describes a long period of time.
你等了多久？
How long did you wait?
了
le
[le]
change-of-state particle
Used with 快…了 to show something is about to happen.
火车快来了。
The train is about to arrive.
吗
ma
[ma]
question particle
A sentence-final particle used to turn a statement into a yes-no question.
你是第一次来吗？这里的“吗”表示提问。
Is this your first time here? Here, 吗 marks a question.
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