longue

long note (music); long vowel

noun LONG Rare

Usage Note

Longue as a standalone noun is a technical term from music and classical prosody, denoting a long beat or long syllable as opposed to a brève (short). The common phrase à la longue means 'in the long run' and is widely used in everyday French. As an adjective it is simply the feminine of long.

Examples

"À la longue, la patience paie toujours."

Natural Translation

In the long run, patience always pays off.

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