Question of duration 多长时间
HSK 3- Questions
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
多长时间 is used to ask about the duration of an action — how long it lasts.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) means "how long" and is used to ask about the duration of a period of time. This phrase is typically placed after a verb to ask how long an action has lasted or will last.
It is similar to 多久 (duō jiǔ), but 多长时间 is generally more widely used across a variety of contexts, both formal and informal.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 你学中文学了多长时间？繁: 你學中文學了多長時間？Nǐ xué Zhōngwén xué le duō cháng shíjiān?
How long have you been studying Chinese?
- 从这里到机场要多长时间？繁: 從這裡到機場要多長時間？Cóng zhèlǐ dào jīchǎng yào duō cháng shíjiān?
How long does it take to get from here to the airport?
- 你每天锻炼多长时间？繁: 你每天鍛鍊多長時間？Nǐ měitiān duànliàn duō cháng shíjiān?
How long do you exercise every day?
- 这部电影要演多长时间？繁: 這部電影要演多長時間？Zhè bù diànyǐng yào yǎn duō cháng shíjiān?
How long will this movie run?
- 你们等了多长时间？繁: 你們等了多長時間？Nǐmen děng le duō cháng shíjiān?
How long have you been waiting?
Common mistakes
- Wrong:多长时间你等了？Correct:你等了多长时间？
The question word 多长时间 typically comes after the verb, not at the beginning of the sentence as in Vietnamese.
- Wrong:你等了多长时间吗？Correct:你等了多长时间？
多长时间 is already a question word and does not need the question particle 吗 added at the end of the sentence.