This is the 4560th most frequent Swedish word.
åratal
A very long time; years.
In this sentence, 'åratal' is used to emphasize a prolonged period of years during which the subject has been living in a location.
Han har bott här i åratal.
He has lived here for years.
Here, 'åratal' indicates a significant span of years that has passed, emphasizing the duration since the last encounter.
Det har gått åratal sedan vi sist såg honom.
Years have passed since we last saw him.
In this sentence, 'åratal' refers to an extended amount of time spent working on a project, signifying the effort and passage of multiple years.