Breakdown of Сколько лет, сколько зим! Мы не виделись со школы.
мы
we
школа
school
видеться
to see each other (regularly)
Сколько лет, сколько зим
long time no see! (greeting)
Questions & Answers about Сколько лет, сколько зим! Мы не виделись со школы.
Why does the phrase Сколько лет, сколько зим translate to "Long time no see"?
This is a fixed idiom that literally means "How many summers/years, how many winters!" It emphasizes that many seasons have passed. Remember that лет is the genitive plural of год (year) when counting, but it originally relates to the word лето (summer), which contrasts perfectly with зим (winters).
Why use the reflexive verb виделись instead of just видели?
The reflexive ending -сь (or -ся) is used here to show a reciprocal action, meaning "each other". If you just said мы не видели, it would leave the listener waiting for a direct object, as in "we didn't see him" or "we didn't see it".
Why is the imperfective verb виделись used instead of a perfective form?
When negating an action to state that it simply did not happen over a stretch of time, Russian strongly prefers the imperfective aspect. It focuses on the ongoing, continuous state of not seeing each other leading up to the present, rather than a specific failed attempt to meet.
Why is the preposition со used instead of с before школы?
The preposition с changes to со before words starting with certain consonant clusters, especially those beginning with ш, с, or з. This makes it much easier to pronounce, avoiding the awkward double-hissing sound that с школы would create.