längst
long ago · already · long since
Das sagt man, wenn etwas schon vor einiger Zeit passiert ist oder schon lange so ist.
The German word "längst" is an adverb that means "long ago," "already," or "by now." It conveys that something happened or should have happened quite some time ago.
It is related to the adjective "lang" meaning "long," but here it refers to a duration of time passed.
Similar words:
- schon (already)
- bereits (already)
- seit langem (for a long time)
Differences:
- längst emphasizes that something occurred well before the present, often earlier than expected.
- schon and bereits can mean "already," but without necessarily stressing how much earlier.
- seit langem stresses the ongoing duration rather than an action completed long ago.
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Examples
Ich bin längst fertig.adverb
I finished long ago.
Ich habe längst damit aufgehört.adverb
I stopped doing it long ago.
Das Problem ist längst gelöst.adverb
The problem is already solved.
Die anderen sind längst nach Hause gegangen.adverb
The others have long since gone home.
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