Japanese Conversation · Level 13
90 words
Japanese word
数年
Pronunciation
Romajisūnen
Meaning
- nouna few years
Example
その町に数年住みました。so no machi ni sū nen su mi ma shi ta
I lived in that town for a few years.
More examples
卒業してから数年がたちました。sotsu gyō shi te ka ra sū nen ga ta chi ma shi ta
A few years have passed since I graduated.
Core concept
Treats several years as a single period while leaving the exact number open.
Common phrases
数年前sū nen mae
a few years ago
数年後sū nen ato
a few years later
数年ぶりsū nen bu ri
after a few years
Similar words
数年間sūnenkan: A continuous span of time lasting for several years.
Definition in Japanese
年数を具体的に示さない、いくつかの年にわたる期間。nen sū o gu tai teki ni shime sa na i i ku tsu ka no toshi ni wa ta ru ki kan
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese compound 数年 (sūnen) joins 数 (sū, "number") with 年 (nen, "year"), giving the sense of several years.
Usage tips
- The same word appears in 数年前 (sūnenmae) and 数年後 (sūnengo), meaning a few years ago and a few years from now.
Other meanings
- several yearsnoun