何 十 年(なんじゅうねん)

なんじゅうねん

noun

decades; many years

1. decades; several tens of years

An indefinite span of several decades. Formed from 何(なん) (how many) plus 十年(じゅうねん), it states that the number of decades is large or unknown rather than asking for it.

何十年(なんじゅうねん)も前(まえ)の話(はなし)だ。

That was decades ago.

この寺(てら)は何十年(なんじゅうねん)にも渡(わた)って守(まも)られてきた。

This temple has been looked after for decades.

何十年(なんじゅうねん)働(はたら)いても家(いえ)が買(か)えないという声(こえ)が若(わか)い世代(せだい)から上(あ)がっている。

Young people are saying that even decades of work won't buy them a house.

Usage

Almost always followed by も, which supplies the sense of "as many as." Without も the phrase reads as a genuine question — 何十年(なんじゅうねん)かかりますか (how many decades will it take?).

Common collocations

何十年(なんじゅうねん)も前(まえ): decades ago
何十年(なんじゅうねん)ぶり: for the first time in decades
何十年(なんじゅうねん)にも渡(わた)って: over the course of decades

Similar words

数十年(すうじゅうねん): several decades — the written, more measured equivalent
何年(なんねん)も: for many years — a smaller, vaguer span

Related Words

Compare: 数十年(すうじゅうねん) (several decades)

Compare: 十数年(じゅうすうねん) (ten-odd years)

general

Added 2026.8.14 3:28 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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