Thread: Translating "...Только года через три-четыре"

Only after about 3 or 4 years...

When you discuss time periods or quantity, word order matters. Reverse word order adds a note of uncertainty, and can be translated as "approximately", "about", etc.
три года = three years
года три = approximately three years

15 минут = 15 minutes (exactly)
минут 15 = about 15 minutes (give or take)

Спасибо!!! I've always wondered about that reversed order. This was very helpful.

One more question: Is it typical to say "года через три"? As an English speaker translating into Russian, I would want to say "через три года" or "через года три".

Originally Posted by Tom

One more question: Is it typical to say "года через три"? As an English speaker translating into Russian, I would want to say "через три года" or "через года три".

Yes, "года через три" sounds perfect. "Через года три" can be heard in everyday speech occasionally, but it sounds clumsy, like a person changed his or her mind in the middle of a phrase. Usually prepositions and such are put between a numeral and a definitive word.
eg.
Лет с десяти я начал мечтать о кругосветном путешествии.
Я приду минут через двадцать.