Thread: such a long time

What is the difference between давно and долго?

Давно вас не видела.

Ты долго стояла в очереди?

Can you use them both the same?

Originally Posted by Ty

Can you use them both the same?

Yes, but not in all cases.

because давно means много времени тому назад or в течение долгого времени, долго means only в течение долгого времени. I'm afraid I can't explain better. Sometimes недолго (долго ли in questions) approximately means 'simply' or 'easily', but it is used not so often in this meaning as in previous one.

http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=%D0%B4% ... ranslate=1

http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=%D0%B4% ... ranslate=1

Давно вас не видела. I'm not sure but I think 'Долго вас не видела' or 'Я вас долго не видела' seems to be strange. But you can say 'Что-то вас долго видно не было', 'Давно вас не было видно', 'Где вы так долго пропадали?', 'Давно вы не появлялись', 'Вас долго не было' - it depends on the situation.

Ты долго стояла в очереди? You can't replace it by 'Ты давно стояла в очереди?' because this sentence has another meaning ( smth like 'When was the last time you stood in a queue?' or just 'When have you stood in a gueue? Was it long time ago?')
but it would be possible if it was the present tense.
Ты долго стоишь в очереди? = Ты давно стоишь в очереди?
Долго стоишь? = Давно стоишь? (if speakers stand near a shop the others words are implied)

Thanks.

Давно can only be used in the past.

-Разрешите пожалуйста -можно покурить?
Нет, я давно бросил курить, не хочу чтоб от меня пахло сигаретами.

Excuse me, do you mind if I smoke?
No please don't, I quit smoking a long time ago, I dont want to smell like smoke.

От вас давно не слышал! You haven't heard from them in a long time, But now you are talking to them.

Долго can be used in future or past, or in measuring distances

Мы так долго это ждали -We waiting for it for so long.

Так долго будем ждать - We will wait a long time

or Долгий путь греет нас - The long path burns us out.

There is also another variant for only measuring length. Длинный Meaning long or tall.

Мой рукав слишком длинный - my sleeve is too long.
Or
Он длинный мальчик - He's a tall lad.

Ty - here's what I think (but it's purely gut feeling, and my Russian isn't great, so wait for comment from a native before you believe me ):

давно: a long time since a specific point in time - and that specific point is the most important.
f.ex.
Давно вас не видела: it has been a long time since (that specific moment) when I last saw you (and I've done lots of other things in the meantime...).

With долго on the other hand, it's not so much the moment when the "long time" started that is important, but the long duration (of whatever happened).
Ты долго стояла в очереди? : have you been standing in the queue (for a) long (duration)? (and not doing anything else than standing there)


Just a gut feeling as I said - but that's how I would use them.....

BabaYaga is right... It's the main distinction...

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Ty - here's what I think (but it's purely gut feeling, and my Russian isn't great, so wait for comment from a native before you believe me ):

давно: a long time since a specific point in time - and that specific point is the most important.
f.ex.
Давно вас не видела: it has been a long time since (that specific moment) when I last saw you (and I've done lots of other things in the meantime...).

With долго on the other hand, it's not so much the moment when the "long time" started that is important, but the long duration (of whatever happened).
Ты долго стояла в очереди? : have you been standing in the queue (for a) long (duration)? (and not doing anything else than standing there)


Just a gut feeling as I said - but that's how I would use them.....

So is the following is correct?

давно мы не разговаривали - we have not spoken for a long time
долго мы не разговаривали - we didn't speak for long

Yep...

Thanks everyone. Russian is hard I've noticed.

Он длинный мальчик - He's a tall lad.

Может, лучше не советовать такое поначалу?
Даже носители языка в подавляющем большинстве случаев говорят "высокий", а не "длинный" или "вытянутый".

http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=tall&la ... ranslate=1

Точно так же вряд ли иностранцам стоит выражаться в духе "Женат, имеет троих детей", все-таки лучше говорить "У него трое детей".

well, I thought about putting Высоко In there, but since the topic was about "long" I just left it out.

But sure, Its not the 'normal' of refering to someone as tall. When i was in highschool there were SO many Alex's no one ever knew which one they were talking about. So someone would say like Какой Алекс, тот мелкий или длинный? Смешной или тупой? We called a guy длинный who was nearly 7 feet tall... And some other kid who was like two feet tall мелкий

Originally Posted by Zaya

Он длинный мальчик - He's a tall lad.

Может, лучше не советовать такое поначалу?
Даже носители языка в подавляющем большинстве случаев говорят "высокий", а не "длинный" или "вытянутый".

http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=tall&la ... ranslate=1

Точно так же вряд ли иностранцам стоит выражаться в духе "Женат, имеет троих детей", все-таки лучше говорить "У него трое детей".

Он длинный мальчик - немного странновато
Лучше - Он высокий мальчик.

Yeah... We know.

Originally Posted by shadow1

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Ty - here's what I think (but it's purely gut feeling, and my Russian isn't great, so wait for comment from a native before you believe me ):

давно: a long time since a specific point in time - and that specific point is the most important.
f.ex.
Давно вас не видела: it has been a long time since (that specific moment) when I last saw you (and I've done lots of other things in the meantime...).

With долго on the other hand, it's not so much the moment when the "long time" started that is important, but the long duration (of whatever happened).
Ты долго стояла в очереди? : have you been standing in the queue (for a) long (duration)? (and not doing anything else than standing there)


Just a gut feeling as I said - but that's how I would use them.....

So is the following is correct?

давно мы не разговаривали - we have not spoken for a long time
долго мы не разговаривали - we didn't speak for long

Может я не прав, но по моему ДОЛГО и ДАВНО в данном контексте МОГУТ быть ИДЕНТИЧНЫ, т.е. мы не говорили друг с другом с какого то момента в прошлом до настоящего момента. Я думаю, в обоих случаях уместно употреблять Present Perfect. i.e.

We havent spoken for a long time
Мы давно\долго не разговаривали

Хотя ДОЛГО сдесь может иметь и другой оттенок - т.е. мы не разговаривали в течение продолжительного промежутка в прошлом, но потом все-же стали говорить. Тогда перевод будет

We didnt speak for long
Мы долго не разговаривали

Originally Posted by Chuvak

Originally Posted by shadow1

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Ty - here's what I think (but it's purely gut feeling, and my Russian isn't great, so wait for comment from a native before you believe me ):

давно: a long time since a specific point in time - and that specific point is the most important.
f.ex.
Давно вас не видела: it has been a long time since (that specific moment) when I last saw you (and I've done lots of other things in the meantime...).

With долго on the other hand, it's not so much the moment when the "long time" started that is important, but the long duration (of whatever happened).
Ты долго стояла в очереди? : have you been standing in the queue (for a) long (duration)? (and not doing anything else than standing there)


Just a gut feeling as I said - but that's how I would use them.....

So is the following is correct?

давно мы не разговаривали - we have not spoken for a long time
долго мы не разговаривали - we didn't speak for long

Может я не прав, но по моему ДОЛГО и ДАВНО в данном контексте МОГУТ быть ИДЕНТИЧНЫ, т.е. мы не говорили друг с другом с какого то момента в прошлом до настоящего момента. Я думаю, в обоих случаях уместно употреблять Present Perfect. i.e.

We havent spoken for a long time
Мы давно\долго не разговаривали

Хотя ДОЛГО сдесь может иметь и другой оттенок - т.е. мы не разговаривали в течение продолжительного промежутка в прошлом, но потом все-же стали говорить. Тогда перевод будет

We didnt speak for long
Мы долго не разговаривали

If I understood your Russian, then you need to translate it: "For a long time we didn't speak."

Getting back to the line... how would you say, "I've been standing here for a long time"; i.e., past or present tense? And does it change if you specify a time, such as two hours?

Я уже долго стою в очереди.
Я уже стою в очереди два часа.

Скорее всего, я ошибаюсь. Так что не верьте мне!

Originally Posted by challenger

If I understood your Russian, then you need to translate it: "For a long time we didn't speak."

Getting back to the line... how would you say, "I've been standing here for a long time"; i.e., past or present tense? And does it change if you specify a time, such as two hours?

You know... It all depends... In some situations it could be past and in some, accordingly, present... I'll give you example... Let's say, you are standing in line to get tickets to... to... to... to Britney S. concert (I am sure you would die to see her move (Just a joke, ok?)... Your friend is passing-by and asking how long you've been in line... Your answer is, I've been standing here for a long time (for two hour or whatever)... An in Russian it would be, "Я стою здесь уже достаточно долго (два часа и прочая, прочая, прочая)... Then you finally got your tickets... Wow!.. You come home, and your partner asks how long you've been in line... In this situation your answer in English is same: Your answer is, I've been standing here for a long time (for two hour or whatever)... Russian, though, would be different: "Я стоял там догло (два часа и прочая, прочая, прочая)...

So, it looks like that it all depends on context, isn't it?..

Originally Posted by SSSS

Originally Posted by challenger

If I understood your Russian, then you need to translate it: "For a long time we didn't speak."

Getting back to the line... how would you say, "I've been standing here for a long time"; i.e., past or present tense? And does it change if you specify a time, such as two hours?

You know... It all depends... In some situations it could be past and in some, accordingly, present... I'll give you example... Let's say, you are standing in line to get tickets to... to... to... to Britney S. concert (I am sure you would die to see her move (Just a joke, ok?)... Your friend is passing-by and asking how long you've been in line... Your answer is, I've been standing here for a long time (for two hour or whatever)... An in Russian it would be, "Я стою здесь уже достаточно долго (два часа и прочая, прочая, прочая)... Then you finally got your tickets... Wow!.. You come home, and your partner asks how long you've been in line... In this situation your answer in English is same: Your answer is, I've been standing here for a long time (for two hour or whatever)... Russian, though, would be different: "Я стоял там догло (два часа и прочая, прочая, прочая)...

So, it looks like that it all depends on context, isn't it?..

IMHO. "I have been standing" implies that I am still standing.

If I was standing in line and my friend walks up and asks me how long I was standing, I would say "I have been standing here for a long time" ("Я стою здесь уже достаточно долго" - I am still standing there).

I come home and my wife asks me how long I stood in line, I would say "I stood there for a long time" (Я стоял там догло - I am no longer standing there).

In Russian, the phrase "Я стою" could be interpreted as "I am standing" or "I have been standing" depending on context.

If my memory of English grammar doesn't fail me, I think both frases I was standing and I have been standing refer to the past... However, the former refers to the general fact that I some time in the past was standing... The latter means that the action (standing in our case) started at some point in the past, lasted for some period of time, and finish just before the moment of speach...

Originally Posted by SSSS

The latter means that the action (standing in our case) started at some point in the past, lasted for some period of time, and finish just before the moment of speach...

Nah. I had been standing is past.
Someone calls

- Where are you?
I have been standing in line at the store for 45 minutes! Im not going to make it on time.

You're still standing.