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I have given three examples below to illustrate my question. I can't understand why the expression "というもの” equates to "recently/since".

この一週間というもの、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。 

For the / since last week I have been so busy, I have hardly slept.

結婚してからというもの、映画館で映画を見ていない。

I have not been to the pictures since I got married.

ここしばらくというもの...
“Recently for a while now"

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    I have difficulty understanding when it can be used. All the given examples sound fine, but a seemingly similar expression 7月からというもの sounds wrong to me, and I wonder if there is any truth in my feeling. Sep 26, 2012 at 0:57

3 Answers 3

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It doesn't so much mean "recently/since", but in these example sentences, the phrases that というもの is modifying or emphasizing does.

In your first example sentence, what corresponds to "since last week" is actually the この一週間, and というもの just emphasizes it. The meaning stays the same if you get rid of it.

この一週間、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。

というもの literally translates as "this thing called": と + 言う + 物

Here are a couple other examples of it:

馬というものはひじょうに役に立つ。 Horses are useful animals.

それはご都合主義というものだ。 That's opportunism pure and simple.

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  • I did not get this meaning from my textbook (総まとめ 文法 N1) but I was not comfortable with "since": so you are saying 「というもの、」in the above sentences is the same as in「というものは」....and it just provides emphasis. Thanks
    – Tim
    Sep 23, 2012 at 12:02
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According to 日本語表現文型辞典:

For the expression [Noun]というもの such as in the question, if the noun is a time expression (source: 期間を表す言葉) then it implies that the time period feels long.

Continuing clauses follow after というもの.

When は is appended after というもの、it is more emphatic.

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I would regard it as the omission of の間.

この一週間というもの(の間)、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。 
結婚してからというもの(の間)、映画館で映画を見ていない。 
ここしばらくというもの(の間)...

The second sentence uses から to emphasize that the period of time started after the marriage, so to translate it to since is fine.

~している間、~の間 means for or during.

For/During the last week, I have been so busy.
直訳:先週の間、私は忙しかった -> 意訳:先週、忙しかった。

Useualy we don't say 先週の間. We omit の間 and use 先週.

But in some cases (could be in most cases), の間 is necessary.

始業式の間、彼はずっと眠たそうにしていた。 <-- fine
始業式、彼はずっと眠たそうにしていた。 <-- this sounds okay and more informal

授業の間、彼はずっと眠たそうにしていた。 <-- fine
授業、彼はずっと眠たそうにしていた。 <-- this sounds odd

火曜午前0時から8時の間、サーバーはメンテナンス中になります。 <-- fine    
火曜午前0時から8時、サーバーはメンテナンス中になります。 <-- sounds casual

この一週間の間、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。 <-- fine
この一週間、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。 <-- fine
この一週間というもの、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。 <-- fine
この一週間というものの間、忙しくてほとんど寝ていない。 <-- okay but sounds kind of roundabout
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    I find というものの間 unnatural. Also, we cannot say 始業式というもの(の間)、彼はずっと眠たそうにしていた. In general, I fail to see a connection between this answer (which is about の間) and this question (which is about というもの). Sep 23, 2012 at 6:35
  • というものの間 sounds not common; that's why の間 is omitted. However, if you think the meaning of the sentence, to add の間 just makes sense. we cannot say 始業式というもの(の間) we don't say it; however, structurally it is a correct sentence and can be understood by most Japanese. 始業式というもの、彼は・・・ becomes really odd so I showed the example above, 授業、彼はずっと・・・ to say it sounds odd.
    – Teno
    Sep 23, 2012 at 7:02
  • I guess I did not state my concern clearly. というもの and の間 are two different expressions, and I just fail to see any reason to see these two as related. You are talking about の間, but it is unrelated to this question. Sep 23, 2012 at 11:41
  • @TsuyoshiIto というもの creates an argument clause(noun clause) and the OP seems to be confused by what a noun clause can be interpreted as an adjunct clause. Then I provided a clue that の間 functions like a preposition/conjunction to connect the clauses to give a meaning of time duration.
    – Teno
    Sep 23, 2012 at 12:11
  • @Teno: I am not sure I u/stand your comment but my question was about というもの which I was mistaking for "recently/since" until both you and Silvermaple pointed out that came from other words in the examples. I am still not quite sure about というもの、but it seems to be providing emphasis in similar fashion to というものは (see other answer/my comment above)
    – Tim
    Sep 23, 2012 at 15:14

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