Express how long, for how long, and how long ago using the right French time expression
Depuis is used with the present tense to describe a situation that started in the past and is STILL continuing now. English often uses 'for' or 'since' + perfect tense, but French uses the present.
| French (présent + depuis) | English |
|---|---|
| J'habite ici depuis trois ans. | I have lived here for three years. (still living here) |
| Elle travaille là depuis 2020. | She has worked there since 2020. (still working) |
| Il apprend le français depuis six mois. | He has been learning French for six months. |
Rule: If the action is still happening now → depuis + present tense.
Pendant expresses a duration that is completed or finished. It is used with the passé composé or any tense describing a bounded period. It translates as 'for'.
| French (PC + pendant) | English |
|---|---|
| J'ai habité à Paris pendant deux ans. | I lived in Paris for two years. (no longer live there) |
| Elle a travaillé là pendant six mois. | She worked there for six months. (finished) |
| Il a dormi pendant dix heures. | He slept for ten hours. |
Pendant can also be used with the present tense for planned durations: Je vais rester pendant une semaine. (I'm going to stay for a week.)
Il y a + time expression = ago. It is always used with a past tense (passé composé). It indicates when something happened, not how long it lasted.
| French (PC + il y a) | English |
|---|---|
| Je suis arrivé il y a deux ans. | I arrived two years ago. |
| Elle a téléphoné il y a une heure. | She called an hour ago. |
| Il a commencé ce travail il y a longtemps. | He started this job a long time ago. |
Position: Il y a + time normally comes after the verb phrase, though it can also open the sentence: Il y a deux ans, je suis arrivé ici.
Ça fait + duration + que + present tense is an alternative to depuis for ongoing situations. Both are correct; ça fait is more emphatic.