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Sono adulto da dieci anni.

Sono adulto da dieci anni.
I have been an adult for ten years.
From Lesson 100:Prepositions of time (da, per, tra, fra)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Sono adulto da dieci anni.

Why does it use the present tense sono (I am) instead of a past tense for "I have been"?
In Italian, if an action or state started in the past and is still happening now, you use the present tense. Because the speaker is still an adult today, we use sono (I am) along with da. English uses "I have been" for this, which is a very common difference to watch out for!
Could I use per instead of da here, since per means "for"?
No, because per is used for a completed duration of time. If you used per, it would imply the ten years are over and you are somehow no longer an adult! Because the state of being an adult is still ongoing, you must use da.
I originally learned that da means "from" or "by". Why does it mean "for" in this sentence?
When talking about time, da connects a past starting point to the present moment. It translates to either "for" when followed by a length of time (like dieci anni), or "since" when followed by a specific starting point (like 2014).
Why isn't it Sono un adulto? Where did the word for "an" go?
In Italian, when you use the verb essere (to be) to state someone's profession, nationality, or general life stage (like adulto or bambino), you usually drop the indefinite article (un or una). You only add it back if you include an adjective, like Sono un adulto felice (I am a happy adult).

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