先は長い

there's a long way to go

→ 先

phrase Rare #34,305

there's a long way to go Literally, “the road ahead is long.” Used to say that much time, effort, or progress remains before reaching a goal. Often conveys that something will take a while.

JA: 試験までまだ一か月ある。先は長いな。

EN: There’s still a month until the exam. We’ve got a long way to go.

先は長いのかい?

Is there still a long way to go?

— Carandiru (2003)

こりゃ先は長いな

This is going to take a while.

— 続・夕陽のガンマン (1966)

まだ先は長い。

We still have a long way to go.

先は長いなあ。

We've got a long way to go.

先は長いわコーヒーだって

We’ve got a long way to go—and coffee, too.

— ア・フュー・グッドメン (1992)