German Phrase
Wir warten schon lange.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘We have been waiting for a long time.’ It conveys that the waiting started some time ago and is still ongoing, often hinting at impatience or a desire for the situation to change.
When to use
Use this phrase when you and others have been waiting at a restaurant, at a bus stop, in a waiting room, or any situation where the wait feels unusually long.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wirwartenschonlange.
Subject Pronoun (Wir)
‘Wir’ means ‘we’ and takes the verb ending –en in the present tense.
Verb (warten)
‘warten’ is a regular verb meaning ‘to wait’; in the present it is ‘wir warten’.
Adverb (schon)
‘schon’ can mean ‘already’ or ‘for a while’, indicating that the waiting started in the past and continues.
Adverb (lange)
‘lange’ means ‘long’ and works with ‘schon’ to stress the duration of the action.
Word Order
In a simple declarative sentence the verb stays in second position; adverbs follow the verb.
🗨In Conversation
Entschuldigung, wie lange müssen wir noch warten?
Excuse me, how much longer do we have to wait?
Wir warten schon lange.
We've been waiting for a long time.
✕Common Mistakes
Wir warte schon lange.
Verb must agree with the plural subject ‘Wir’; use ‘warten’, not ‘warte’.
Wir warten lange.
‘lange’ needs the adverb ‘schon’ (or ‘seit’) to express duration; ‘Wir warten lange’ sounds incomplete.
Wir warten schon seit lange.
Do not combine ‘schon’ and ‘seit’ together; choose one: ‘schon lange’ or ‘seit langem’.
↔Alternatives
Wir warten schon seit langem.
We've been waiting for a long time.
Wir haben schon lange gewartet.
We have already waited for a long time.
Wir warten schon eine Weile.
We've been waiting for a while.
Cultural Tip
Germans value punctuality, so mentioning that you’ve been waiting ‘schon lange’ can be a polite way to signal that the delay is noticeable. In formal settings keep the tone neutral; among friends you can add a smile or a light‑hearted comment to soften any impatience.