[Grammar] I lived somewhere... - which tense should I use?

I have a very basic problem I fear and I completely do not know how to solve it.

I was talking with my friend not a long time ago ( also english is not his native language ), and changing subjects I wanted to tell him something about my old home.

When I started sentense I didn't know that I will momentarily stop " This city was my hometown. I lived there ... "

I stopped because I didn't know how to continue. I wanted to say (here comes mistake) something like " I lived there many years", but I didn't want to say only that, I wanted also to add how many years exactly.

And here is the thing. Should I have said " I lived there many years, maybe 4 or 5", "I had lived there for 8 years since I passed ... ", or "I was living there many years..."?

I don't think continous can be used here, but I had that idea.

I think I could use simple with many, but what about for? Is it correct to use it with simple? And the final question, is it correct to use past perfect? Maybe I should have said "I have been living there for ... " , but I think it would underline the time too much.

I lived there for ​many years ... probably 11 or 12 years.

Skrynbez said:

I have a very basic problem I fear and I completely do not know how to solve it.

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Say:

Do not complicate things unnecessarily.

Or don't bother with any introduction. Just start 'I was talking with my friend...'

Note that four or five are not many years.

Skrynbez said:

"This city was my hometown. I lived there ..."

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I am not a teacher.

Normally, your home town is where you were born or where you lived when young. I don't think I would say the city was my home town because it will always be my home town. If it's not your home town it's just somewhere you lived at some point.

Skrynbez said:

I had lived there for 8 years since I passed

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This sounds as if you died there, so don't use it. I would follow emsr2d2's advice, but would also remember that your hometown stays with you for life, as Roman55 says- I went back to my hometown for the first time in twenty years recently, and it is still my hometown, no matter how far or how long I have been away.

emsr2d2 said:

I lived there for ​many years ... probably 11 or 12 years.

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Ok, yes sorry, I will not complicate things to much next time. Next time I will also write a different thread titile.

I understood, that "for" can be used with present simple in some instances, like the one above? Am I right?

"hometown", "passed" ... and many years...

Skrynbez said:

Ok, yes sorry, I will not complicate things too much next time. Next time I will also write a different thread titile.

I understood, that "for" can be used with present simple in some instances, like the one above? Am I right?

"hometown", "passed" ... and many years...

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To give you another example, St. Louis (Missouri) is my hometown, but now I live in Charlotte (North Carolina). (If you look up "Tarheel" you will see how I decided on my current username.)