once upon a time

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈwʌns.əˈpɑn.əˈtaɪ̯m/ === Adverb === once upon a time (not comparable) A long time ago; at some time in the past (a traditional beginning of children's stories, especially fairy tales). Formerly. ==== Usage notes ==== Not to be confused with upon a time, which has a different meaning. ==== Synonyms ==== (a long time ago): anciently, way back; see also Thesaurus:long ago ==== Translations ==== Note: Many of the translations are literally “There once was” or "One time". The translation of “Once upon a time, there was a princess” into Italian, for example, would therefore be “C’era una volta una principessa” (literally, “There was once a princess”). ==== Further reading ==== Once upon a time (phrase) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia