Question
Shusha_and_Khankendi
3 Dec 2020

  • Azerbaijani Near fluent
  • Russian Near fluent
  • English (UK)
  • English (US)
  • Russian
Question about English (US)

Shouldn't be there "have to wait long"?
See a translation

Answers
Read more comments
fox_w_mulder
3 Dec 2020

  • English (US)

Nope, this is a commonly used phrase. I'm fairly certain this phrasing can only be used in the negative, so "I will have long to wait" isn't technically correct, but I think people probably still say it in casual speech.

See a translation
0 likes 0 disagrees
Highly-rated answerer
Shusha_and_Khankendi
3 Dec 2020

  • Azerbaijani Near fluent
  • Russian Near fluent
@fox_w_mulder but i think it means "you will not have enough (long) time to ..."
See a translation
0 likes 0 disagrees
fox_w_mulder
3 Dec 2020

  • English (US)

@englishazerbaijani No, "You won't have long to wait...." means that you will not be waiting for a very long time. Because the trains in rome leave hourly, the amount of time you will wait for one is short.

This kind of phrasing is using "long" as a noun to mean a "period of time"

See a translation
0 likes 0 disagrees
Highly-rated answerer
Shusha_and_Khankendi
3 Dec 2020

  • Azerbaijani Near fluent
  • Russian Near fluent
@fox_w_mulder i know that is like "time". So look : "You will not have time to wait as trains for Rome leave hourly". Why i need have time to wait if i shouldnt wait it long?
See a translation
0 likes 0 disagrees
fox_w_mulder
3 Dec 2020

  • English (US)
I don't quite understand what you are asking, so please let me know if this doesn't answer your question. In your original question, you could write "You won't have to wait long as trains for Rome leave hourly." This sentence is telling you basically the same thing as "You won't have long to wait as trains for Rome leave hourly." The difference between these two sentences: 1. "You won't have to wait long as trains for Rome leave hourly." -> Here the emphasis is on "wait", which is being used as the noun meaning "period of time waiting." This period of time could be short or long. it could be 5 minutes, it could be 2 hours. 2. "You won't have long to wait..." here, the emphasis is on long, which has a similar meaning of "a long period of time." when you use long to mean a "period of time" it always means a long period of time. In both cases, neither sentence is talking about having enough time. We are not worried about missing the train in these sentences. We have plenty time to catch the next train. We are worried about how long until the train gets here. How long will we be waiting at the train station. These sentences could be used if you arrive early to a train station and ask the ticket person what the train schedule is. When you show up early to a train station, you know that you will have to wait until the train arrives. You could wait for a small amount of time or a long amount of time. Either way, you will eventually get on the train. These sentences are both telling you that since trains to rome happen hourly(implying that they happen often) the period of time you will have to wait before the next train arrives will be short.

I don't quite understand what you are asking, so please let me know if this doesn't answer your question.

In your original question, you could write "You won't have to wait long as trains for Rome leave hourly." This sentence is telling you basically the same thing as "You won't have long to wait as trains for Rome leave hourly."

The difference between these two sentences:

1. "You won't have to wait long as trains for Rome leave hourly." -> Here the emphasis is on "wait", which is being used as the noun meaning "period of time waiting." This period of time could be short or long. it could be 5 minutes, it could be 2 hours.

2. "You won't have long to wait..." here, the emphasis is on long, which has a similar meaning of "a long period of time." when you use long to mean a "period of time" it always means a long period of time.

In both cases, neither sentence is talking about having enough time. We are not worried about missing the train in these sentences. We have plenty time to catch the next train. We are worried about how long until the train gets here. How long will we be waiting at the train station. These sentences could be used if you arrive early to a train station and ask the ticket person what the train schedule is.

When you show up early to a train station, you know that you will have to wait until the train arrives. You could wait for a small amount of time or a long amount of time. Either way, you will eventually get on the train. These sentences are both telling you that since trains to rome happen hourly(implying that they happen often) the period of time you will have to wait before the next train arrives will be short.




1 like 0 disagrees
Highly-rated answerer
[News] Hey you! The one learning a language!

Do you know how to improve the way you study a language❓ All you need to do is write a diary in the language you are learning!
With HiNative, you can have a native speaker correct your diary every day✍️✨
Sign up
Share this question
Similar questions
Newest Questions
Topic Questions
Recommended Questions
hinative app preview balloon background image flying monga
  1. HiNative
  2. S
  3. Sh
  4. Should
  5. Shouldn't be there "hav...