AL VANAF or SINDS?

[rhino514]

Hi! It´s been a while since I posted but I am back and resuming my (slow) dutch improvement.
I´ve noticed that in Dutch one can say the equivalent of "I´ve been in amsterdam since 5 days">>"ik zit sinds 3 dagen in Amsterdam" whereas in English this is technically wrong.
I´ve also seen "ik ben al vanaf 5 dagen in amsterdam" (the "van af" is optional?).
Are these two terms interchangeable? Which is more common?

I am guessing that sinds is more common when there is a verbal phrase following (i.e. "sinds ik jong was, was/ben ik..."") but "al vanaf" is more common with no verb (i.e. "Al vanaf mijn jeugd ben ik...."
Indeed, is "sinds mijn jeugd" correct at all? I also am guessing that vanaf is obligatory in my last sentence but optional in the case of "5 dagen in Amsterdam?

bedankt!

[Joke]

Hi! It´s been a while since I posted but I am back and resuming my (slow) dutch improvement.
I´ve noticed that in Dutch one can say the equivalent of "I´ve been in amsterdam since 5 days">>"ik zit sinds 3 5 (one day corresponds exactly with één dag ) dagen in Amsterdam" whereas in English this is technically wrong.
I´ve also seen "ik ben al vanaf 5 dagen in amsterdam" (the "van af" is optional?).
Are these two terms interchangeable? Which is more common?

"Ik zit (of ben) sinds 5 dagen in Amsterdam" is correct.
"Ik ben al 5 dagen in Amsterdam" is also correct. Using al stresses the duration of your stay in Amsterdam, whereas sinds gives more stress to your arrival 5 days ago. But both sentences are ok and the differences are small.
Your sentence with al vanaf is wrong.

I am guessing that sinds is more common when there is a verbal phrase following (i.e. "sinds ik jong was, was/ben ik..."") but "al vanaf" is more common with no verb (i.e. "Al vanaf mijn jeugd ben ik...." Indeed, is "sinds mijn jeugd" correct at all?

Correct. "Al vanaf ik jong was..." is just wrong.
"Sinds mijn jeugd..." is also correct. You can also say "Al sinds mijn jeugd...".

I also am guessing that vanaf is obligatory in my last sentence but optional in the case of "5 dagen in Amsterdam?

Yes, vanaf is obligatory in the last sentence, but rather than optional, it is just wrong in your sentence about Amsterdam.

Joke

[rhino514]

Thanks so much Joke!
Feel good to be reading Dutch books and actually enjoying them
I have more questions that i will be posting!

regards