Ambiguous to say "I haven't seen you for a long time"

Question

0Assuming: You and I are friends. Last time we met in 2005. Today I happen to meet you at a local mall. If I want to express that long time has passed since our last meetup, can I say "I haven't seen you for a long time"?02br00But I find this sentence can have two different meanings.02br00The first one is just as what I intended to express. But the other seems to mean "I have seen you, not for a long time, but for a shorter time." Can this second meaning be possible in the sentence "I haven't seen you for a long time"?02br00If I want to avoid the ambiguity and also to express that long time has passed since our last meetup, what can I say? 02br02br00Thanks a lot!0-

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

0>Can this second meaning be possible in the sentence02br
01b00No02b00. 0-

CalifJim · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10ganchiau12cite10But I find this sentence can have two different meanings.12br
10The first one is just as what I intended to express. But the other seems to mean "I have seen you, not for a long time, but for a shorter time." Can this second meaning be possible in the sentence "I haven't seen you for a long time"?12br
12blockquote

10 Welcome to English Forums!02br
00No. It has to do with the scope of the negation. The negation carries through the verb 01i00see02i00, but not through the adverb of time. Perhaps you could diagram it like this.02br
02br
00[ NOT (have seen you) ] for a long time02br
00CJ 0-

Anonymous · Answer

instead of using "for" try using "in"

"haven't see you for a long time" can have

2 different meanings, but when you say

"have'nt seen you in a long time" only one

meaning there.

Anonymous · Answer

ganchiauAssuming: You and I are friends. Last time we met in 2005. Today I happen to meet you at a local mall. If I want to express that long time has passed since our last meetup, can I say "I haven't seen you for a long time"?But I find this sentence can have two different meanings.The first one is just as what I intended to express. But the other seems to mean "I have seen you, not for a long time, but for a shorter time." Can this second meaning be possible in the sentence "I haven't seen you for a long time"?If I want to avoid the ambiguity and also to express that long time has passed since our last meetup, what can I say? Thanks a lot!

you could say "hi whats up".she says hi the you say"i haven't seen you for a long time how are you"
that is all you have to say

please use this idea

thanks alot

Witty chalk · Answer

hi, please is there a rule for using verb to be in past ( was and were) with I

Ambiguous to say "I haven't seen you for a long time"

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