というもの | Grammar

Structure

[noun (period of time)] + というもの(は)、[sentence] この / ここ + [noun (period of time)] + というもの(は)、[sentence]

Description

というもの after a stretch of time means "for the whole of": the state that follows lasted the entire period, and the speaker feels its length. It goes straight after the time expression – この一年, ここ数日, 三か月 – and は can follow it. What comes after is usually a continuing state with ている or a negative.

、。

This whole past year, I thought of nothing but her.

、。

For days now I haven't slept properly.

、。

For six whole months I didn't take a single day off.

というもの or 間

gives the length as a plain fact. というもの adds weight: the period felt long, hard or remarkable.

、。

I studied Japanese for three months.

、。

For three solid months I studied Japanese every single day.

The pattern belongs to writing and formal narration: essays, novels, speeches. For "ever since something happened", the related form is てからというもの, which has its own point.

Examples

、。

For these three whole years, I haven't returned to my hometown.

、。

For this entire past week, it has been raining nonstop.

、、。

Since that accident, for a full two months, he was unable to leave the hospital.

、。

For these past few days, I have had absolutely no appetite.

、。

For the ten years since graduation, I haven't met him even once.

、。

For this entire half year, I've been doing nothing but overtime every day.

、。

For the entire month after my child was born, I could barely sleep.

、。

For these two whole years, she has been supporting the company on her own.

、。

For the three months since I moved, I didn't make a single friend.

、。

For these past several years, prices have been rising continuously.

、。

For the entire year since that day, he never missed a single day of visiting the grave.

References

Citation II ～という～ということ～というものimabi.org