Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha eki de nagaku matimasita. - I waited at the station for a long time.

は marks the topic, meaning “as for me.” It doesn’t mark grammatical subject so much as what the sentence is about. Here, it sets up “speaking of me, (I) waited at the station for a long time.”

Can I omit 私?

Yes. Japanese often drops subjects when they’re clear from context. You can simply say: 駅で長く待ちました。

Could I use が instead of は (私が駅で長く待ちました)?

You can, but it changes the nuance. 私が… answers or emphasizes “who” did it (It was I who waited), often contrasting with someone else or introducing new information. 私は… is the neutral/topic-setting choice when “I” is already known.

What does the particle で after 駅 mean?

で marks the place where an action happens. Since waiting is an action, 駅で is correct. Use に for:

Existence/location: 駅にいる (to be at the station)
Arrival: 駅に着く (to arrive at the station) So: 駅で待つ, but 駅にいる／駅に着く.

Why is it 長く and not 長い? What exactly does 長く modify?

長い is an i-adjective. To make an adverb (“long-ly” → “for a long time”), change い to く: 長く. It modifies the verb 待ちました: “waited for a long time.”

Another example: 速い (fast) → 速く走る (run fast).

Could I use 長い間 or ずっと instead of 長く? What’s the nuance?

Yes, with slight nuance differences.

長い間待ちました: “I waited for a long period (span).” Slightly more explicit/formal.
ずっと待ちました／待っていました: Emphasizes continuousness (“the whole time, all along”).
長時間待ちました: More formal/literary (“for a long time period”). All are valid; 長く is the simplest adverbial form.

What’s the difference between 待ちました and 待っていました?

待ちました: Polite past, viewing the waiting as a completed event (“I waited”).
待っていました: Past progressive/state, focusing on the ongoing nature (“I was waiting”). Use this when stressing the activity’s duration/continuity.

How do I say “I waited for my friend/the train” or “until the train came”?

Wait for someone/something: mark it with を.
- 友だちを待ちました。 (I waited for my friend.)
- 電車を待ちました。 (I waited for the train.)
Wait until an event: use まで.
- 電車が来るまで待ちました。 (I waited until the train came.)

How do I say “for three hours”?

Just put the duration with no particle:

駅で三時間待ちました。 (I waited at the station for three hours.) For emphasis (“as long as”), add も:
駅で三時間も待ちました。

Where can 長く go in the sentence? Is word order flexible?

Adverbs usually appear right before the verb: 駅で長く待ちました. You can move them earlier for emphasis, often with a pause:

長く、駅で待ちました。 Japanese word order is flexible, but the neutral, most natural spot for 長く here is before 待ちました.

How do I say it casually?

Plain past: 駅で長く待った。
Casual progressive: 駅でずっと待ってた。 You can omit 私 in casual speech as well.

Is は really pronounced “wa” here?

Yes. The particle は is pronounced “wa.” Readings:

私 (わたし)
駅 (えき)
長く (ながく)
待ちました (まちました) Full reading: Watashi wa eki de nagaku machimashita.

Why is it 待ちました and not 待ました?

The dictionary form is 待つ. For the polite form, u-verbs (godan verbs) change the final syllable to the i-row:

待つ → 待ちます → 待ちました So つ becomes ち before ます/ました.

Does 長く always mean “long in time”? Could it mean “long in distance”?

長い/長く can refer to time or length. Context decides. With 待つ (to wait), it’s duration (time). For length/size: 髪が長い (hair is long).

How do I say “I didn’t wait long”?

Two natural options:

あまり長く待ちませんでした。 (I didn’t wait very long.)
長くは待ちませんでした。 (I didn’t wait long — with contrast/emphasis on “not long.”)

Are spaces normal in Japanese writing?

No. Spaces are added here for learners. Normally you’d write:

私は駅で長く待ちました。

Where would a time word like “yesterday” go?

Time expressions usually go early:

昨日、駅で長く待ちました。
私は昨日駅で長く待ちました。 Both are natural; commas are optional.