A1 Expression Neutral

長いです

nagai desu

It's long

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use {長|なが}いです to describe physical length or duration of time.

  • Means: Something has a large physical length or takes a long time.
  • Used in: Describing roads, hair, waiting times, or meetings.
  • Don't confuse: Do not use for 'tall' (use {背|せ}が{高|たか}い).
📏 (Ruler) + ⏳ (Hourglass) = {長|なが}いです

Explanation at your level:

Use {長|なが}いです to say something is big in length or time. It is a simple i-adjective.
It describes physical dimensions or duration. It conjugates like other i-adjectives, making it easy to use in past or negative forms.
Beyond physical length, it is used for temporal duration. It often carries a nuance of 'tedious' when referring to meetings or speeches.
It functions as a versatile descriptor for both spatial and temporal concepts. It is essential for describing abstract concepts like 'long-term' planning.
Linguistically, it serves as a primary scalar adjective. Its usage in idioms like 'nagai me de miru' demonstrates its role in conceptualizing time as a linear path.
It acts as a fundamental lexical item in Japanese, exhibiting polysemy across spatial, temporal, and social domains, reflecting the Japanese cultural emphasis on duration and endurance.

Significado

To describe something as having great length.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Patience is valued; sometimes 'long' waits are accepted as inevitable. Long-term relationships are highly valued.

💡

Memory Trick

Think of a long snake.

Significado

To describe something as having great length.

💡

Memory Trick

Think of a long snake.

Ponte a prueba

Which is correct for a tall person?

A: {背|せ}が{長|なが}い B: {背|せ}が{高|たか}い

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: B

Use takai for height.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

No, use takai.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

{短|みじか}い

contrast

short

Dónde usarla

🚌

At a bus stop

A: {待|ま}ち{時間|じかん}が{長|なが}いですね。

B: {本当|ほんとう}に{長|なが}いですね。

neutral
🎬

Describing a movie

A: その{映画|えいが}、{長|なが}い？

B: {長|なが}いよ。3{時間|じかん}ある。

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Long' snake (naga) that is very 'long' (nagai).

Visual Association

A very long, winding river stretching to the horizon.

Rhyme

Nagai, nagai, it's very long, like a song.

Story

I walked on a long road. The day was long. My hair was long. Everything was long!

Word Web

{短|みじか}い{長|なが}さ{長|ちょう}い{長|なが}い{目|め}{長|なが}い{間|あいだ}

Desafío

Describe 3 things in your room using 'nagai' in 5 minutes.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

largo

Nagai is strictly for length/time.

French high

long

Grammar usage differs (adjective placement).

German high

lang

German uses 'lang' for height sometimes, unlike Japanese.

Arabic moderate

tawil (طويل)

Arabic uses one word for both length and height.

Japanese n/a

nagai

Strict separation from height.

Easily Confused

長いです vs {高|たか}い

Learners use 'nagai' for height.

Use 'takai' for vertical height.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

No, use takai.

¿Te ha servido?

Comentarios (0)

Inicia Sesión para Comentar
¡No hay comentarios todavía. Sé el primero en compartir tus ideas!