not long ago

not long ago — idiom

1. at a time that is only a short while before now; in the recent past.

1.慣用語A2
釋義

at a time that is only a short while before now; in the recent past.

例句

Not long ago, Stefan started working at a large hospital in Taipei.

sentence-initial adverbial for time reference

A big earthquake shook the coastal town not long ago, damaging many houses.

adverb phrase at end of clause with participle

同義詞
  • recently

    same meaning, slightly more formal in tone

  • a short time ago

    more explicit but less common in casual speech

  • lately

    can imply an ongoing period up to now, not just a single past point

反義詞
  • long ago

    refers to the distant past

  • ages ago

    informal, emphasises a very long time in the past

文法句型

not long ago + clause (sentence-initial)

clause + not long ago (sentence-final)

用法筆記

Frequently placed at the start of a sentence to introduce a recent event, or at the end of a clause for emphasis. Slightly more conversational than 'recently.'

常見錯誤

❌I saw him not long before.
✅I saw him not long ago.
💡'before' sets a time relative to another event; 'ago' counts backward from now.
❌He moved here not long before.
✅He moved here not long ago.
💡without a reference event, use 'ago' not 'before.'