Italian · Emotions & Descriptions

"Long" in Italian: lungo/a

lungo/a

Say it: LOON-gohadjective/ˈlun.go/

Long in Italian is lungo (LOON-goh) masculine and lunga feminine. For tall people use alto, not lungo.

Hair salon

Vuoi i capelli più lunghi o più corti?
Do you want longer or shorter hair?
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How to pronounce lungo/a

Say it

LOON-goh

/ˈlun.go/

Lungo stresses LOON: LOON-goh. Soft g before o. Lunga is LOON-gah.

"Long" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
lungo / lungalong

Length, duration.

più lungolonger

Comparisons.

a lungofor a long time

Duration adverb.

capelli lunghilong hair

Appearance.

How to use lungo/a in real life

  1. 1Hair salon

    Vuoi i capelli più lunghi o più corti?

    Do you want longer or shorter hair?

    Lunghi.

  2. 2Travel plan

    È un viaggio lungo in treno.

    It's a long trip by train.

    Viaggio lungo.

  3. 3Waiting

    La fila è troppo lunga stamattina.

    The line is too long this morning.

    Lunga feminine.

Mistakes English speakers make with lungo/a

Incorrect: Marco è lungo.

Correct: Marco è alto.

For people, tall is alto; lungo is length.

Incorrect: Una strada lungo.

Correct: Una strada lunga.

Agree: lunga feminine.

Good to know

Lungo also labels coffee: un caffè lungo is stretched espresso. In everyday talk, una giornata lunga means a draining day.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a movie

  1. ChatPal

    Questo film è lungo tre ore.

    This film is three hours long.

  2. You

    Troppo lungo per stasera: prendo quello corto.

    Too long for tonight: I'll take the short one.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. Preferisci una serie lunga invece?

    Ok. Prefer a long series instead?

  4. You

    No, meglio qualcosa di breve.

    No, better something short.

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"Long" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Long" in Italian

Lungo or alto?

Lungo = long; alto = tall.

Feminine?

Lunga.

For a long time?

A lungo / per molto tempo.

Long hair?

Capelli lunghi.

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