"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase (or a 'fossilized phrase') that has been used for many hundreds of years in storytelling in the English language. Conversely, these stories often then end with "And they all lived happily ever after".
It is particularly apparent in fairytales for children, where it is almost always the opening line of a tale. It was commonly used in the original translations of the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, or The Brothers Grimm.
The phrase is also frequently used in oral storytelling, such as retellings of myths, fables, and folklore.
"Once Upon A Time" is also the title of a song, sung by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and others.
Other languages
Equivalent phrases are also used in many other languages to begin a fable or tale:
- Algerian Arabic: Hajitek ma jitek 'I've told you what's coming'
- Classical Arabic: kân yâ mâ kân fî qadîmi zzamân wal`aSri wal'awân... 'There was, oh what there was (or there wasn't) in the oldest of days and ages and times...'
- Catalan: Hi havia una vegada 'There was a time...'
- Ekoti (Mozambique, Bantu): Rakú z'éepo waarí-vó oswááipu nwúlw'eéne saána 'Once upon a time, there was a truly great friendship...'.
- Finnish: Olipa kerran... 'Once, there was...'
- French: Il était une fois 'There was, once... ' Common ending: ... et se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants ' ... and they married, and had lots of children'
- Goemai (Nigeria, West Chadic): Tamtis noe lat/ dok ba muaan yi wa 'My tale has finished, (it) has returned to go (and) come home.'
- Greek: Μια φορά κι έναν καιρό... 'Once, in another time...' Common ending: Κι έζησαν αυτοί καλά κι εμείς καλύτερα 'And they lived well, and we [lived] better'
- Hebrew: Hayo hayah pa'am... (היו היה פעם) 'Once there was a time...'
- Hungarian: Egyszer volt, hol nem volt, volt egyszer egy... 'Once there was, where there wasn't, there was a...'
- Iraqw (Kenia, Cushitic) tokaro-yâ 'once upon a time (standard opening phrase); aa fák 'it is finished' (common end to a story).
- In oral literature, phrases like "I remember something that our father told me and that is this:" are common (Iraqw: Kar aníng te-'ée' to-ká a inhláw ar aakó doo-rén ni alki'-a i tí). Endings are often like "Such is the story that our father told us" (Iraqw: a-n ti'itá-r akóo doo-rén na alki'íit).
- Japanese: Mukashi mukashi (昔昔, むかしむかし). 'A long time ago...'
- Norwegian: Det var en gang... 'There was, once...'
- Polish: Dawno, dawno temu... 'Long, long time ago...'
- Portuguese: Era uma vez... 'There was, once...'
- Spanish: Érase/Había una vez... 'There was, once...'
- Tagalog: Noong unang panahon... 'At the first time (a long time ago)...'