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langwierig
lengthy
Lasting a very long time and often being laborious, complicated, or tiring.
example
Nach langwierigen Verhandlungen wurde endlich eine Einigung erzielt.
After lengthy negotiations, an agreement was finally reached.
langwierig
lengthy
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word consists of 'lang' (long) and 'wierig'. The part '-wierig' is related to the old verb 'währen' (to last) and expresses that something not only takes a long time, but is also laborious.
EXAMPLE
Die Genesung nach der Operation war ein langwieriger Prozess.
Recovery after the operation was a lengthy process.
Typical collocations
'Langwierig' (lengthy) typically describes abstract processes. Common combinations are: 'ein langwieriger Prozess' (a lengthy process), 'langwierige Verhandlungen' (lengthy negotiations), 'eine langwierige Krankheit' (a long-lasting illness), or 'eine langwierige Suche' (a lengthy search).
EXAMPLE
Die Suche nach der Ursache des Problems war sehr langwierig.
The search for the cause of the problem was very lengthy.
Usage pattern
This adjective is used to describe the duration of processes or states, not the physical length of objects. You say 'eine langwierige Diskussion' (a lengthy discussion), but not 'ein langwieriger Tisch' (a lengthy table).
EXAMPLE
Es war eine langwierige Debatte mit vielen Unterbrechungen.
It was a lengthy debate with many interruptions.
Compare with
langwierig vs lang
long
'lang' and 'langwierig' both describe that something takes a lot of time. 'lang' is neutral and can be positive, negative, or simply factual: 'ein langer Urlaub' (a long vacation), 'ein langer Film' (a long movie), 'eine lange Fahrt' (a long trip). 'langwierig' does not just mean 'long', but also laborious, complicated, or tiring. That is why it is especially used for processes, illnesses, negotiations, or repairs. Learners may confuse the words because both refer to a long duration. But 'langwierig' almost always includes the idea: it takes an unpleasantly long time.
langwierig
Die Reparatur ist langwierig, weil mehrere Teile bestellt werden müssen.
The repair is lengthy because several parts have to be ordered.
lang
Wegen des Wetters war die Fahrt im Zug sehr lang.
Because of the weather, the train ride was very long.
In real life
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