German · Real conversations
How to respond to “Lange nicht gesehen!” in German
A reunion gives you a chance to acknowledge the gap and reconnect without explaining your entire absence.
What you might hear
Lange nicht gesehen!
Long time no see!
Choose a reply that fits
Ja, das ist wirklich lange her.
It really has been a while.
Acknowledge that time has passed.
Es ist schön, dich zu sehen.
It's great to see you.
Show that you are happy to reconnect.
Ich war ziemlich beschäftigt.
I've been quite busy.
Give a short explanation if you want to.
Lass uns bald mal in Ruhe reden.
Let's catch up soon.
Suggest a later conversation when you cannot stay.
Two short exchanges
An unexpected reunion
Lange nicht gesehen!
Long time no see!
Ja, das ist wirklich lange her.
It really has been a while.
Seeing an old acquaintance
Das ist lange her!
It's been a while!
Es ist schön, dich zu sehen.
It's great to see you.
Your turn
Give a brief update about why you have not been around.
Reveal a sample reply
Ich war ziemlich beschäftigt.
I've been quite busy.
This response guide in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
