Duration in negative sentences
When you want to express how long it has been since something last happened (like "for years" or "in a long time"), English often uses "for" or "in". In Swedish, if the sentence is negative (containing inte), use the preposition på.
| We haven't used the record player for many years. | Vi har inte använt skivspelaren på många år. |
| He hasn't dusted off the collection for a long time. | Han har inte dammat av samlingen på länge. |
Common time expressions
You can pair på with almost any length of time. Common phrases include på länge (for a long time), på flera år (for several years), or på en evighet (in an eternity).
| I haven't turned on the record player in an eternity. | Jag har inte satt på skivspelaren på en evighet. |
| I haven't listened to the vinyl record in a decade. | Jag har inte lyssnat på vinylskivan på ett årtionde. |
Notice how this structure usually pairs with the present perfect tense (har + supine verb) to describe things you haven't done or experienced in a while.
| I haven't heard the crackle in years. | Jag har inte hört knastret på flera år. |
| I haven't felt this nostalgic for a long time. | Jag har inte känt mig så här nostalgisk på länge. |
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