If you want to say “long” in Spanish to refer to a physical length or a length of time, you’ll need the word largo to describe masculine nouns or larga for feminine ones. However, depending on what you’re talking about—length, distance, or duration—you may need to use a different word entirely.
Some basic Spanish words often don’t have a one-to-one translation, but they are much easier to learn in context. Use this guide to learn how to say “long” in Spanish and many other associated phrases.
Table of Contents
How to say ‘long’ in different contexts
You may want to discuss length, duration, distance, or ask how long something will take. In English, the word “long” will often suffice, but the Spanish equivalents will vary depending on the context.
Some learners incorrectly use the word largo when they mean “large.” Learn how to say “long” in Spanish in real-life contexts and you’ll never get largo confused with grande (big/large) again.
largo/larga (long)
This most direct translation of “long” is used for describing an item’s length. Largo follows rules for other adjectives in Spanish, so it will change according to the grammatical gender and number of the noun.
You can often tell this information about Spanish nouns by taking a look at the articles in Spanish, which is information that proves essential for following Spanish gender rules.
| Spanish | Grammatical Gender/Number | English |
| El libro es largo. | masculine/singular | The book is long. |
| La calle es larga. | feminine/singular | The road is long. |
| Los caminos son largos. | masculine/plural | The paths are long. |
| Las novelas son largas. | feminine/plural | The novels are long. |
Pelo/cabello largo (long hair)
One common use of largo is to describe hair length. Whether you’re requesting a specific peinado (hairdo) at the salon or describing a friend with long hair, pelo largo or cabello largo means “long hair” in Spanish.
Something very important in Spanish is that the adjective always matches the noun it’s describing. Even if you’re describing a woman with long hair, the noun being described is either pelo or cabello (hair), which are masculine nouns, so you won’t say larga.
- El hombre tiene pelo largo. = The man has long hair.
- La mujer tiene pelo largo. = The woman has long hair.
To describe short hair, you’ll need to learn to say “short” in Spanish. Remember to say corto (short in length), not bajo (short in stature).
de largo (in length)
In English, you can describe length or distance with a measurement followed by the word “long,” as in “three feet long.” In Spanish, you will need to add de largo at the end of the measurement. This will come in handy when you’re shopping or furnishing an apartment. You should also know de ancho (wide) and de alto (tall) for all three dimensions.
- Buscamos una mesa de dos metros de largo. = We’re looking for a table that is two feet long.
- La ruta tenía tres millas de largo. = The route was three miles long.
alargado/alargada (elongated)
This is a synonym of largo that is typically only used when the noun is both long and narrow. It’s one more example of how Spanish is a rich language full of expressive adjectives.
- Italia es un país alargado. = Italy is a long country.
- Una trompa es una nariz alargada. = A trunk is a long nose.
prolongado/prolongada (prolonged)
This term is used in specific instances such as “a prolonged illness” or “a lengthy process.”
- Su tratamiento es debido a su enfermedad prolongada. = Her treatment is because of her prolonged illness.
- Cambiar su nombre puede ser un proceso prolongado. = Changing one’s name can be a prolonged process.
por mucho tiempo (for a long time)
This is a great way to convey the idea of a lengthy amount of time without specifying the exact timeframe.
- He estudiado por mucho tiempo. = I have studied for a long time.
- Viví en Roma por mucho tiempo. = I lived in Rome for a long time.
How to ask ‘How long?’ in Spanish
This is where the translation will depend on what you’re measuring, as there’s no one way to say “how long?” You can also learn “how much” in Spanish with some similar structures, not to be confused with “how much longer?” in Spanish. See the chart for a breakdown of common expressions with “how long.”
| Spanish | English Translation | Spanish Example | English Example |
| ¿Cómo de largo/larga…? | How long is…? | ¿Cómo de largo es el camino?¿Cómo de larga es la calle? | How long is the path? How long is the road? |
| ¿Cuánto dura…? | How long does… last? (duration) | ¿Cuánto dura el visado? | How long does the visa last? |
| ¿Cuánto falta? | How much longer? | ¿Cuánto falta para llegar? | How much longer to arrive? |
| ¿Cuánto llevas (place)? | How long have you been (in a place)? | ¿Cuánto llevas en España? | How long have you been in Spain? |
| ¿Cuánto mide…?¿Cuánto miden…? | How long is…? (measurement) | ¿Cuánto mide el cable? ¿Cuánto miden los esquís? | How long is the cable/wire? How long are the skis? |
| ¿Cuánto tiempo dura…? | How long is…? (duration) | ¿Cuánto tiempo dura la película? | How long is the movie? |
| ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda…+ noun? | How long does (noun) take? | ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda el procedimiento? | How long does the procedure take? |
| ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda en + verb? | How long does it take to (verb)? | ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda en aprender español? | How long does it take to learn Spanish? |
Other expressions with ‘long’ in Spanish
Impress the locals with these expressions and make your conversation sound more natural. You can learn more authentic Spanish phrases like these with Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method, so you learn Spanish the way it’s spoken by native speakers.
| Spanish | English |
| a largo plazo | in the long-term |
| a lo lejos | a long way off (at a great distance) |
| all day long | todo el día |
| anhelar/desear | to long to do something (desire) |
| ¡Cuánto tiempo! | Long time, no see!/It’s been a long time! |
| de larga distancia | long-distance (flight/call) |
| de toda la vida | lifelong |
| faltar mucho | a long way to go/a lot to do |
| mucho antes | long before |
| muy lejos | a long way (far away) |
| por fin | at long last/finally |
| siempre y cuando | as long as/so long as (if this condition is met) |
| tener éxito | to go a long way/to be successful |
It won’t be long before you can converse with confidence
With just these translations of the word “long” in Spanish, you can discuss length, duration, distance, and ask how long something will take. Memorizing this list might be helpful in the short-term, but for el éxito a largo plazo (long-term success), you’ll need to go beyond rote memorization.
Part of how Rosetta Stone works is by introducing you to phrases in authentic context, with audio spoken by native speakers. This proven method will also have you speaking comprehensibly from day one. Dentro de poco (before long), you’ll be able to carry on everyday conversations with ease.
0 Commentaires