Portuguese Phrase
Quanto tempo sem te ver! Como vão as coisas?
Meaning
A friendly, informal exclamation used when you haven’t seen someone for a while, followed by a casual inquiry about how their life is going.
When to use
Use this phrase with friends, family members, or close acquaintances when you meet them after a period of not seeing each other. It’s too informal for business or formal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quantotemposemtever!Comovãoascoisas?
Quanto tempo
A phrase meaning 'how long' used to ask about duration.
sem + infinitive
The preposition 'sem' (without) is followed by an infinitive verb to express the lack of an action.
te ver
Object pronoun 'te' (you) + infinitive 'ver' (to see) = 'to see you'.
Como vão as coisas?
Literally 'how go the things?', the idiomatic way to ask 'how are things?'.
🗨In Conversation
Quanto tempo sem te ver! Como vão as coisas?
It’s been ages since I saw you! How are things going?
Tudo bem, obrigado! E você, como está?
All good, thanks! And you, how are you?
✕Common Mistakes
Quanto tempo sem te ver
Do not translate literally as 'time' in English; it functions as part of the idiom 'quanto tempo'.
sem ver você
Learners sometimes say 'sem ver você', which sounds unnatural; keep the object pronoun before the infinitive.
Como está as coisas?
Verb must agree with plural subject 'as coisas', so use 'vão' not 'está'.
↔Alternatives
Há quanto tempo não nos vemos! Como estão as coisas?
How long has it been since we last saw each other! How are things?
Faz tempo que não te vejo! Como vai a vida?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen you! How’s life?
Quanto tempo sem nos encontrar! Tudo bem por aí?
It’s been a long time since we met! Everything good over there?
Cultural Tip
This expression is very colloquial. In Brazil it’s common to add an exclamation mark after the first clause to convey excitement. Avoid using it with strangers or in professional contexts; opt for a more neutral greeting like 'Bom te ver novamente' instead.