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

Originally Posted by Lampada

Через три года = in three years' time = three years from now
Года через три = in about three years' time = about three years from now

Ah, so it's only when we're using the reversed order (года три) that the preposition goes in the middle? In other words, the preposition will usually be just before the number?

e.g.

Передача закончится через дватсят минут.
The program will end in twenty minutes.

Передача закончится минут через дватсят.
The program will end in about 20 minutes.


For some reason I find this fascinating.

Originally Posted by Tom

Ah, so it's only when we're using the reversed order (года три) that the preposition goes in the middle? In other words, the preposition will usually be just before the number?

e.g.
Передача закончится через двадцать минут.
The program will end in twenty minutes.

Передача закончится минут через двадцать.
The program will end in about 20 minutes.

For some reason I find this fascinating.

That's right! Your examples are correct. Well done.

Thanks for your help!


(Yeah, I thought дватсят looked funny, but I was too lazy to look up the correct spelling.

Двадцать. Тридцать. Пятьдесят. Шестьдесят. Семьдесят. Восемьдесят.
Одиннадцать. Двенадцать.

So if it is 11 through 30, use ...дцать, otherwise use ...десят. I think I'll remember now. )

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Tom

So if it is 11 through 30, use ...дцать, otherwise use ...десят. I think I'll remember now. )

roughly:
-надцать = "above ten" = -teen
-дцать (20,30), -десят(50 - 80) = "tens" = -ty