French Phrase
Ça fait longtemps qu'on attend.
Meaning
Literally, 'It makes a long time that we are waiting.' In everyday English it means 'We've been waiting for a long time.' The phrase emphasizes the length of the waiting period.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to comment on a prolonged wait, whether you’re in a queue, waiting for a friend, or describing a delay in a project. It’s informal and works best in spoken conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çafaitlongtempsqu'onattend
Ça fait + duration
The construction 'ça fait + amount of time' is used to express how long something has been happening.
qu' + subject + verb
After 'ça fait', the clause introduced by 'que' (contracted to 'qu' before a vowel) gives the action that has been ongoing.
on as informal 'we'
In spoken French, 'on' often replaces the more formal 'nous' and takes a third‑person singular verb.
Present tense for ongoing action
Even though the meaning is past‑to‑present, French keeps the verb in the present tense (attend).
🗨In Conversation
Ça fait longtemps qu'on attend, non ?
We've been waiting for a long time, haven't we?
Oui, ils arriveront bientôt.
Yes, they'll be here soon.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est longtemps qu'on attend.
Use 'ça fait' to talk about elapsed time; 'c'est' means 'it is'.
Ça fait longtemps depuis qu'on attend.
When using 'ça fait', do not add 'depuis' after it.
Ça fait longtemps qu'on attend.
In spoken French, 'on' is preferred over the formal 'nous' for this construction.
↔Alternatives
Nous attendons depuis longtemps.
We have been waiting for a long time.
Ça fait un moment qu'on attend.
We've been waiting for a while.
On attend depuis longtemps.
We've been waiting for a long time.
Cultural Tip
The 'ça fait + duration' pattern is extremely common in French to talk about elapsed time, and it sounds natural in both casual and semi‑formal settings. The informal pronoun 'on' replaces 'nous' in most spoken contexts, so native speakers will rarely say 'Nous attendons depuis longtemps' in everyday conversation.