Yeah, a "seit Jahren" flashed through my mind as I read it.

I've heard this often enough from English speakers from India that I think it is accepted grammar in that region.

To my ears it “since years” sounds like it’s missing an “ago” after it (or like the GP said “for years” sounds even more natural).

It makes me think of another similar one: I've noticed that British English speakers will say e.g. "the new iPhone will be available from September 20th"

To my ears that sounds like it's missing an “onwards” after it (or “starting September 20th” would sound even more natural).

Is the meaning different? I'm struggling to see how "from September 20th" would have a different implication to "starting from September 20th" (or similar) given the context.

The meaning is the same, it just sounds weird to my ears in the same way that “since years” does

(Also I just noticed the extra “it” in my previous comment, oops).

> The correct phrase would be "I've been using that setup for years."

Oh TYVM. Native french speaker here so it'd be the literal translation of: "depuis des années".

Weird thing is I'm pretty sure I've read it written like that... for years ; )

No problem! If it weren't for that one phrase I would've thought you were a native speaker, your English is very good.

I hear it from many native speakers. The deliberate incorrectness is a sort of cutespeak. "Since... years".

I can't stand l33tspeak but in this case I think the kids can stay on the lawn.

I don't think I've ever heard a native speaker say it, but I could definitely imagine it coming out of a native speaker's mouth with that pregnant pause, specifically. Like an acknowledgment that you're about to say something a bit grammatically awkward.

I only mentioned it because I used to think correcting people's English was rude, until I had a long work engagement with a French guy whose English was pretty good but not quite native. He insisted that I correct his written English if I saw a mistake (i.e. in documentation, proposals, etc.), otherwise he wouldn't learn where it was wrong and how to improve it.