a long time

[ə lɔŋ taɪm]
noun phrase
muito tempo
1. an extended period; a duration that is considerable or seems lengthy
I haven't seen you in a long time.
Faz muito tempo que não te vejo.
2. a period that feels prolonged or tedious
The meeting took a long time to finish.
A reunião demorou muito tempo para terminar.
3. an indefinite but substantial duration
It took a long time before she understood the problem.
Demorou muito tempo até ela entender o problema.
This phrase is universally used across English-speaking cultures and Brazilian Portuguese to express extended periods. In Brazil, 'um tempão' (informal diminutive/augmentative form) is often used colloquially to emphasize the length of time, particularly in Rio de Janeiro and informal contexts. Americans and Brazilians both use this phrase frequently in casual conversation to reference past events or ongoing situations.
NYC Slang
forever / ages ago / way back
Synonyms / Sinônimos
agesan eternityquite a whileforevera considerable time
Antonyms / Antônimos
a short timea brief momentno time at alla second

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
muito tempo
standard and most common expression
Rio de Janeiro
um tempão / muito tempo
colloquial use of 'tempão' is common in informal speech
São Paulo
muito tempo
standard usage, occasionally 'um bom tempo'
Portugal
muito tempo / uma eternidade
similar to Brazilian Portuguese, sometimes emphasizing with 'uma eternidade'

Related Words

durationperiodintervalstretchspanwhile

Related Idioms & Phrases

it's been a long time
for a long time
a long time coming
take a long time
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