How to Use Depuis, Pendant, Il y a, and Pour in French

Depuis: For Actions That Are Still Happening

The most important rule for 'depuis' is that it connects the past to the present. It's used for an action that started in the past and is still going on now. Because the action continues into the present, you must use the present tense (présent de l'indicatif) in your sentence. This is very different from English, where we use the present perfect ('I have been living...').

• J'étudie le français depuis trois ans. (I have been studying French for three years.)
• Elle habite à Paris depuis 2021. (She has lived in Paris since 2021.)
• Nous nous connaissons depuis l'école primaire. (We have known each other since primary school.)

'Depuis' can be followed by a duration of time (trois ans, une semaine) or a specific point in time (2021, lundi dernier). You can also use 'depuis que' followed by a clause (a subject and a verb) to mean 'ever since'.

• Je me sens mieux depuis que je fais du sport. (I feel better since I started doing sports.)

Pendant: For a Specific, Contained Duration

Use 'pendant' to talk about the entire duration of a completed action in the past or a planned, bounded action in the future. Think of it as a self-contained block of time. The action happens from the beginning to the end of that block, and that's it. In informal spoken French, 'pendant' is often dropped, but it's always correct to include it.

• J'ai travaillé pendant huit heures hier. (I worked for eight hours yesterday.)
• Nous avons attendu le bus pendant 20 minutes. (We waited for the bus for 20 minutes.)
• Elle va voyager en Italie pendant deux semaines. (She is going to travel in Italy for two weeks.)

Il y a: Marking a Point in the Past (Ago)

The expression 'il y a' means 'ago'. It is almost always used with a past tense like the passé composé. It places a completed action at a specific point in the past, calculated by counting back from the present moment. 'Il y a' answers the question 'when?'.

• Je suis arrivé en France il y a dix ans. (I arrived in France ten years ago.)
• Elle a acheté cette voiture il y a six mois. (She bought this car six months ago.)
• Ils ont téléphoné il y a cinq minutes. (They called five minutes ago.)

Alternatives to Depuis: Ça fait... que and Il y a... que

In everyday conversation, you will frequently hear alternatives to 'depuis'. The expressions 'ça fait ... que' and 'il y a ... que' mean the exact same thing as 'depuis' and also use the present tense for an ongoing action. 'Voilà ... que' is another, slightly more emphatic, option.

• Ça fait trois heures que j'attends. (I've been waiting for three hours.)
• Il y a longtemps que nous ne nous sommes pas vus. (It's been a long time since we've seen each other.)
• Voilà un an qu'il travaille sur ce projet. (He's been working on this project for a year now.)

Pour: For a Planned Future Duration

'Pour' is used to express the intended duration of a future action or event. It is most often used with verbs of movement or departure, such as 'partir', 'aller', or 's'absenter'. It answers the question 'for how long?' regarding a future plan.

• Je pars en vacances pour deux semaines. (I am going on vacation for two weeks.)
• Il est à Bordeaux pour trois jours. (He is in Bordeaux for three days.)
• Nous avons réservé l'hôtel pour une nuit. (We booked the hotel for one night.)

A key point: do not use 'pour' to describe the duration of a past action. This is a very common mistake. For past actions, use 'pendant'.

Two Special Cases: En and Depuis in the Negative

The preposition 'en' is used to express the length of time it takes to complete an action. It answers the question 'how long did it take?'.

• J'ai lu ce livre en une journée. (I read this book in one day.)
• Elle a fait le trajet de Paris à Lyon en deux heures. (She made the trip from Paris to Lyon in two hours.)

While 'depuis' with an ongoing action uses the present tense, there is an exception. When you form a negative sentence with the passé composé, 'depuis' means something has not happened since a certain point in time or for a certain duration.

• Je ne l'ai pas vu depuis son départ. (I haven't seen him since his departure.)
• Nous n'avons pas parlé depuis des semaines. (We haven't spoken in weeks.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using 'pour' for the past. Incorrect: J'ai habité à Nice pour cinq ans. Correct: J'ai habité à Nice pendant cinq ans.
• Using the wrong tense with 'depuis'. If you are still living in Paris, you must say 'J'habite à Paris depuis 2020'. Saying 'J'ai habité à Paris depuis 2020' is grammatically incorrect for an ongoing action; it would imply you no longer live there.
• Confusing 'il y a' and 'depuis'. 'Il y a' marks one moment. 'Depuis' marks the start of a duration. Compare: 'J'ai rencontré ma femme il y a dix ans' (I met my wife ten years ago) vs. 'Je suis marié depuis dix ans' (I have been married for ten years).

Quick self-check

1. How would you say 'I have been learning French for six months'?

   Show answer

   J'apprends le français depuis six mois. (Or: Ça fait six mois que j'apprends le français.)

2. You went on a trip last year. How would you say 'I traveled for three weeks'?

   Show answer

   J'ai voyagé pendant trois semaines.

3. How would you say 'She finished her exams two days ago'?

   Show answer

   Elle a fini ses examens il y a deux jours.

4. You're going away for the weekend. How would you say 'I'm leaving for two days'?

   Show answer

   Je pars pour deux jours.

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