How to Say ‘Have you been waiting long?’ in Traditional Chinese
你等很久了嗎？
nǐ děng hěn jiǔ le ma
[nee děng huhn jiǔ luh mah]
💬 Usage Tip: Put a verb before 很久 to say how long someone has been doing it: 等很久 = "waited a long time." Ending with 了嗎 asks whether that situation is true now: 你等很久了嗎？ = "Have you been waiting long?"},{
Phrase Breakdown
你等
nǐ děng
you waited
你 (nǐ) means 'you', and 等 (děng) means 'to wait'. These are two third tones, so 你 is pronounced with a rising tone: ní děng.
你等一下。
Wait a moment.
Words in this phrase
你
nǐ
[nee]
you
The pronoun used to address one person directly.
你今天看起來很開心。
You look very happy today.
等
děng
[děng]
to wait
To stay in one place until a certain time or event.
我在等車。
I am waiting for the bus.
很久了嗎？
hěn jiǔ le ma
a long time?
很久 (hěn jiǔ) means 'a long time'. 了嗎 (le ma) asks whether it has already happened. 很 is said with a rising tone before 久.
你學中文很久了嗎？
Have you studied Chinese for a long time?
Words in this phrase
很
hěn
[huhn]
very
An adverb often placed before adjectives like 好 to mean 'very'.
今天很冷，要穿外套。
It's very cold today, so wear a jacket.
久
jiǔ
[jiǔ]
long time
A significant duration that has passed or will pass.
我們等了一個很久的時間。
We waited for a long time.
了
le
[luh]
completed-action particle
Shows that an action has happened or a change of situation has occurred.
司機好像繞了。
It seems the driver took a detour.
嗎
ma
[mah]
question particle (yes/no questions)
Used at the end of a sentence to ask a yes/no question. In holiday talk: 有吃年夜飯嗎？
你有吃年夜飯嗎？
Did you have the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner?
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