# Duration + rồi: have been … for in Vietnamese (A1)

> Put rồi after a length of time and, with verbs for something ongoing (ở, học, chờ), it means "for … now": something that started in the past and is still…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/duration-roi/ · Updated 2026-11-10

**have been … for**

Pattern: `[person] + [verb] + bao lâu rồi? → [verb] + [duration] + rồi`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: roi, bao lau roi

Variants:

- lâu chưa?

Put *rồi* after a length of time and, with verbs for something ongoing (*ở*, *học*, *chờ*), it means "for … now": something that started in the past and is still going on. *Chị ở Sài Gòn mười năm rồi.* I've lived in Saigon for ten years. With verbs for a single event (*đi*, *về*, *bỏ*), it says how long ago it happened: *Anh ấy đi ba ngày rồi.* He left three days ago. English needs "have been" for this; Vietnamese keeps the verb as it is and lets *rồi* do the work.

To ask, put *bao lâu rồi* after the verb: *Em học tiếng Việt bao lâu rồi?* How long have you been learning Vietnamese? The answer has the same shape: *Dạ, sáu tháng rồi.* You'll often hear *được* before the time, with the same meaning: *Em học được sáu tháng rồi.*

A shorter question is *… lâu chưa?*, "long yet?": *Anh chờ lâu chưa?* Have you been waiting long? The answer is *Lâu rồi* (a long time) or *Chưa, anh mới tới* (no, I've just got here).

Without *rồi*, *bao lâu* asks how long something lasts as a whole, such as a trip: *Anh ở đây bao lâu?* How long are you staying? And *rồi* after a verb, with no time, means "already": *Em ăn rồi.*

## A common mistake

✗ Em học tiếng Việt bao lâu?

✓ Em học tiếng Việt bao lâu rồi?

Without *rồi*, *bao lâu* usually asks how long the whole thing lasts or lasted, such as a course. For "how long so far", add *rồi*.

## Examples

- Em học tiếng Việt bao lâu rồi? — How long have you been learning Vietnamese?
- Dạ, sáu tháng rồi. — Six months now.
- Chị ở Sài Gòn mười năm rồi. — I've lived in Saigon for ten years.
- Anh chờ lâu chưa? — Have you been waiting long?
- Saigon: Chưa, anh mới tới. | Hà Nội: Chưa, anh mới đến. — No, I've just got here.

## Compare

- [How long? bao lâu after the verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/bao-lau-how-long/): how long (duration)?
- [Already: … rồi, and Rồi as the yes to 'yet?'](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/roi-already/): already

Previous in Asking questions: [Expecting yes: … chứ?](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chu-question/)
Next in Asking questions: [How far: A cách B …, bao xa?](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cach-distance/)

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