というもの

The grammar structure というもの (sometimes written というもの(は)) is used to emphasize that a certain state or action has continued throughout an entire period of time. It highlights the duration and often carries a nuance of emotional weight – the speaker feels that the period was significant, noteworthy, or impactful in some way.

This expression attaches to a time expression and is typically followed by a description of what has been happening (or not happening) during that entire period. The clause that follows often uses ～ている, ～ていた, ～ない, or similar continuous/stative forms to emphasize the ongoing nature of the situation.

Basic usage

Nuance

というもの differs from simple time expressions like いちねんかん一年間 or すうじつかん数日間 in that it adds an emotional or emphatic tone. It suggests that the speaker views the duration as remarkable – perhaps surprisingly long, painfully drawn out, or otherwise noteworthy.

Compare:

• さんかげつ三か月かん間べんきょう勉強した。 – I studied for three months. (neutral statement)
• さんかげつ三か月というもの、まいにち毎日べんきょう勉強しつづけたし続けた。 – For a full three months, I studied every single day. (emphasizes the weight of the duration)

Common patterns

The expression is often preceded by demonstratives like この or ここ, and the time period is typically a specific duration (days, weeks, months, years). It frequently appears with は after it: というものは.

This is a written/formal expression commonly found in essays, novels, speeches, and formal narration. It is less common in casual everyday conversation.