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I have not seen you vs I haven't seen you

Both expressions are correct, but "I haven't seen you" is more common in everyday English. The contraction "haven't" is a more informal and natural way to express "have not" in this context.
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Explained by Camille
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: August 29, 2024 • 24313 views

I have not seen you

This phrase is grammatically correct but less commonly used in everyday English.

This phrase is a formal way to express that you have not seen someone. It can be used in written English or formal situations.
  • Jul 6, 2023 ... The current meeting is in the present, so you would say "It's nice to see you, because I have not seen you in a while.".
  • Nov 28, 2017 ... Speaker A: I have not seen you for such a long time. I'm so happy to see you again/at last (present perfect makes no sense in the second ...
  • Jun 12, 2020 ... Which one is right: “I have not seen you in a long time” or “I haven't seen you in a long time”? They're pretty much the same thing, the ...
  • Jul 15, 2013 ... 1. both work but are a bit colloquial, informal, casual. I would say "I have not seen you for a long time" or "i have not seen you for such a ...
  • Jul 22, 2021 ... I have not seen you for ages.” The sentence implies that the 'friend' has been gone for some time. The term, “ages,” simply means “a time ...
  • Aug 10, 2024 ... J, I have not seen you, but I believe my prayers about you have been answered and you'll be someone who knows how to appreciate even little ...
  • May 16, 2022 ... This is the answer to the clue : I have not seen you for ___ Figgerits. It's a helpful topic that will give you also the opportunity to have ...
  • Feb 25, 2008 ... I can hardly have patience to write, for I have not seen you for so long that I have worlds of things to tell you, and my pen is not swift ...
  • I have not seen you in skype ... ? Anyway - if you want help read Create a VMFS-Header-dump using an ESXi-Host in production | VM-Sickbay. If you provide a ...

Alternatives:

  • I have not seen you before.
  • I have not seen you in a while.
  • I have not seen you around.
  • I have not seen you for a long time.

I haven't seen you

This phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used in spoken and written English.

This phrase is a more informal and natural way to express that you have not seen someone. It is commonly used in everyday conversations.
  • Jun 28, 2023 ... Hi, Suppose that you haven't seen a friend in ages but you just met them. Which is the correct tense to use? “I HAVEN'T seen you in ages” or ...
  • Jul 17, 2018 ... It it's been 30 years since I last saw you, I wouldn't call that a “while.” If I haven't seen you in a few months, I might refer to that amount ...
  • Jul 26, 2021 ... "I haven't seen you in ages" is the correct option. In fact, as u/ellada11 has already stated, the preposition “since” should be followed by a point in time.
  • Sep 8, 2024 ... Saint Louis! I haven't seen you in a long time. I missed you. And we got to do the first concert at @themuny in 30 years!
  • Sep 8, 2024 ... 22K likes, 253 comments - johnlegend on September 8, 2024: "Saint Louis! I haven't seen you in a long time. I missed you.
  • Oct 9, 2011 ... I haven't seen you since last Friday. :tick: As you say yourself, 'ages' is not a precise point in time.
  • Jun 10, 2023 ... 2120 likes, 23 comments - atlasbroker on June 10, 2023: "i haven't seen you in forever".
  • Jan 27, 2021 ... Hello, I've been wondering what the difference is between using 'for' and 'in' in the following sentence: e.g. I haven't seen you for/in ...
  • Jun 10, 2024 ... 113K likes, 915 comments - baddiewinkle on June 10, 2024: "Hey, baddies! Feels like I haven't seen you in 100 years. Hope you've been fit, ...
  • Jan 29, 2014 ... Hi! I was taught that the "right" way to say it was "I haven't seen you FOR two years", as well as the "right" way to speak about a future ...

Alternatives:

  • I haven't seen you in ages.
  • I haven't seen you lately.
  • I haven't seen you around here.
  • I haven't seen you for a long time.

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