How to Say "Ages" in Japanese

何年も

nanninmo

In Japanese, the phrase 'ages' is translated as 何年も (nanninmo), meaning 'a long time'.

Meaning: a long time (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

The particle も (mo) is essential to the meaning of 何年も in this context.

nanninmo

To express 'for ages' in a more poetic or literary way, Japanese writers use 永劫 ('eigō'), a term derived from Buddhist concepts of an eternity or an immeasurable eon.
In some contexts, saying 'ages' to mean 'a very long time' can be expressed by 久々 (hisashiburi) when greeting someone, shifting the focus from the duration to the interval of absence.
When talking about 'ages' in a historical context, such as 'ages past', Japanese often uses 時代 (jidai), which refers to an 'era' or 'period', rather than just a count of years.

それは何年も昔のことだ。
It was ages ago.
This sentence is useful for illustrating how to express that something happened a long time ago using 何年も.
Tatoeba #205313 by bunbuku, translation #42556 by CM
彼は何年も前からここにいます。
Kare wa nan-nen mo mae kara koko ni imasu.
He has been here for many years.

Two friends are reminiscing about their school days.

陽太 Yota

卒業してから、何年も経ったね。
Sotsugyou shite kara, nan-nen mo tatta ne.
Many years have passed since we graduated.
陽葵 Himari

本当に。時が経つのは早いね。
Hontou ni. Toki ga tatsu no wa hayai ne.
Truly. Time flies so fast.
陽太 Yota

陽葵、最後に会ったのはいつだっけ？
Himari, saigo ni atta no wa itsu dakke?
Himari, when was the last time we met?
陽葵 Himari

もう、何年も前だよ。
Mou, nan-nen mo mae da yo.
It was many years ago already.

Sources

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