a largo plazo
adverbCEFR B1
What does “a largo plazo” mean in English?
in the long term, long-term
in the long term, long-term (as adverb: a largo plazo es mejor; adjectival: de largo plazo)
Example sentences
Mudarse al extranjero puede ser complicado al principio, pero a largo plazo suele merecer la pena si uno consigue integrarse bien en la cultura del país.
Moving abroad can be complicated at first, but in the long term it is usually worth it if one manages to integrate well into the country's culture.
Estamos ahorrando cada mes para poder comprar una casa dentro de unos años; es un sacrificio a corto plazo, pero lo vemos como una inversión a largo plazo muy sólida.
We are saving every month so that we can buy a house in a few years; it is a sacrifice in the short term, but we see it as a very solid long-term investment.
Si no empezamos a pensar en nuestra jubilación a largo plazo, nos encontraremos en una situación muy difícil cuando lleguemos a la edad de retirarnos.
If we don't start thinking about our retirement in the long term, we will find ourselves in a very difficult situation when we reach retirement age.
How to use it
A largo plazo is the partner phrase to a corto plazo and means 'in the long term' or 'long-term'. It appears very frequently in discussions of career planning, savings, immigration decisions, family planning, and life goals — exactly the register of B1 future-plans discourse. Like a corto plazo, its adjectival form is de largo plazo (una estrategia de largo plazo). It pairs with verbs like pensar (a largo plazo pensamos), esperar, planear, and ser + adjective: Es mejor a largo plazo. It contrasts productively with expressions of immediacy: a corto plazo, en el futuro inmediato, por ahora.
Common mistake
A largo plazo is adverbial and modifies the whole clause or a verb, not a noun directly. For nominal use, say una decisión de largo plazo. Also, 'a long time from now' is not a largo plazo — that is dentro de mucho tiempo. A largo plazo means 'looking at a long time horizon' or 'in terms of long-term outcomes', not merely that something is far away in time.