長ながらく

な

が

ら

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Describes a state or action that has continued for a considerable period. Often used with verbs in the ～ている form or past tense.

長ながらくお待またせしてすみません。
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.
彼かれは長ながらく海かい外がいで暮くらしていた。
He lived abroad for a long time.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

長ながらくお待またせいたしましたsorry to have kept you waiting so long (formal)
長ながらくお待またせいたしました。ただいまご案あん内ないいたします。
Sorry to have kept you waiting so long. I'll show you in now.
長ながらくご無ぶ沙さ汰たしておりますapologizing for not having been in touch for a long time (formal)
長ながらくご無ぶ沙さ汰たしておりますが、お元げん気きでしょうか。
I'm sorry it's been so long since I last wrote; I hope you're well.
長ながらく〈動どう詞し〉ておりましたhave been doing something for a long time (formal, polite)
このシステムは長ながらく使つかわれておりました。
This system had been in use for a long time.
長ながらくのご愛あい顧こlong-standing patronage or support (formal, business context)
長ながらくのご愛あい顧こに感かん謝しゃ申もうし上あげます。
We thank you for your long-standing patronage.

Kanji

長long, leader, superior
永eternity, long, lengthy

Related words

長ながい間あいだ
Both mean 'for a long time', but 長らく is slightly more formal and often used in written or polite contexts, while 長い間 is more common in everyday speech.
久ひさしく
久しく is a literary, formal adverb usually paired with negative or 'have not done' verbs (久しく会っていない), while 長らく is neutral and works with both affirmative and continuing states.
長なが年ねんN2
長年 specifically emphasizes many years passing, whereas 長らく can describe any long duration, not necessarily measured in years.
ずっとN4
ずっと emphasizes continuity or comparison ('all along', 'by far'), whereas 長らく simply states a long duration without the continuous or comparative nuance.

Don't confuse with

長なが々ながN1
長々 describes something dragging on tediously or at excessive length (often with a negative nuance), while 長らく is a neutral, formal way to say 'for a long time'.

Written forms

長ながらくUsage80%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
永ながらくUsage12%
Alternate kanji spelling using 永 (eternal); less common but still encountered.
ながらくUsage8%
Kana spelling; often used in informal writing or when the kanji is not needed.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective 長い (long) with the adverbial suffix らく, which indicates a state or condition. The kanji 永 is sometimes used to emphasize the sense of 'eternal' or 'perpetual'.