J'habite à Paris depuis trois ans. J'ai étudié le français pendant deux ans à l'université. Je suis arrivé en France il y a six mois.
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GrammarA2depuispendant
Time expressions: depuis, pendant, il y a
Les expressions de temps
A2fr23 min
What you'll learn
- Say how long something has been going on
- Say how long something lasted
- Say how long ago something happened
Tips for this lesson
- depuis + PRESENT tense = an action that started in the past and is still happening now — very different from English.
- pendant = for a duration, usually with a completed action.
- il y a + time = ago — a second, unrelated meaning of the phrase you already know (there is/are).
Step 1 of 6
1Reading
In context
Read. Notice depuis pairs with the present tense even though the action started in the past.
Step 2 of 6
2The pattern
The pattern — three different time relationships
depuis, pendant and il y a each answer a different question about time.
depuis + a duration or date means the action started in the past and is still true now — and crucially, French uses the present tense with it, where English uses a perfect tense: "j'habite ici depuis trois ans" (I have lived here for three years — but I still live here!). pendant means for/during a duration that is finished or complete, often with the passé composé: "j'ai étudié pendant deux ans" (I studied for two years — that period is over). il y a + a time expression means "ago" — a completely different meaning from the "there is/are" you already know: "je suis arrivé il y a six mois" (I arrived six months ago).
| Word | Meaning | Tense used | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| depuis | since / for (ongoing) | present | j'habite ici depuis 2020 |
| pendant | for/during (finished) | passé composé | j'ai étudié pendant 2 ans |
| il y a | ago | passé composé | je suis arrivé il y a 1 an |
J'apprends le français depuis six mois.
I've been learning French for six months.
Present tense, action still ongoing.
J'ai travaillé pendant dix ans à Londres.
I worked for ten years in London.
Completed period — no longer happening.
Il est parti il y a une heure.
He left an hour ago.
il y a = ago, a point in the past.
Il y a un café ici.
There is a café here.
Contrast: same three words, completely different meaning (existence, not time).
Erreurs fréquentes
- J'ai habité ici depuis trois ans.J'habite ici depuis trois ans.
depuis pairs with the PRESENT tense when the action is still ongoing — not the passé composé, even though it started in the past.
- J'habite ici pendant trois ans. (for a situation still happening now)J'habite ici depuis trois ans.
pendant is for a completed duration — if the action is still happening, use depuis instead.
- Misreading il y a as 'there is' in 'il est parti il y a un an'.il y a here means 'ago' — check whether it's at the start (existence) or end (ago) of the time phrase.
Same three words, two unrelated meanings — context (position in the sentence) tells you which.
Exceptions & à retenir
depuis can also be used with a negative + passé composé
Je n'ai pas mangé depuis ce matin (I haven't eaten since this morning) — with a negative sentence, depuis pairs with the passé composé instead, because the 'not eating' is framed as a completed non-event.
depuis que + a clause
depuis que je suis ici... (since I've been here...) — depuis can introduce a whole clause with que, not just a time amount.
il y a que / ça fait ... que are alternatives to depuis
Il y a trois ans que j'habite ici / Ça fait trois ans que j'habite ici both mean the same as J'habite ici depuis trois ans — different structures, same meaning. You'll encounter these; depuis is the simplest to start with.
Astuces & mémo
- Ask: is the action STILL happening now? → depuis + present. Is it OVER? → pendant + passé composé, or il y a to mark how long back it happened.
- depuis + present is one of the most common English-interference errors — drill it until 'j'habite ici depuis...' feels natural, not 'j'ai habité'.
- il y a meaning 'ago' always comes with a specific time amount (il y a deux jours, il y a un mois) — that's your clue it's not the 'there is' meaning.
Step 3 of 6
3Q&A drill
depuis, pendant, or il y a?
Match each English sentence to the correct time word.
- Q1I've lived here for 5 years (still living here)A____________
- Q2I lived there for 5 years (no longer)A____________
- Q3I arrived 5 years agoA____________
- Q4There is a school hereA____________
Step 4 of 6
4Fill the blanks
Guided practice — choose the time word
Complete with depuis, pendant or il y a.
Example
J'habite ici (1) deux ans.
→ J'habite ici depuis deux ans.
Exercice
J'ai travaillé (1) six mois à Londres.
Exercice
Il est arrivé (2) une semaine.
Exercice
Elle apprend le français (3) un an.
Answer pool — drag onto a blank (or tap to fill the next one)
Next empty blank: 1
Step 5 of 6
5Word order
Build the sentence
Put the words in the correct order.
Example
j'habitedepuisParisàtroisans→J'habite à Paris depuis trois ans.
- Sentence 1Tap the words below to build the sentence.
- Sentence 2Tap the words below to build the sentence.
- Sentence 3Tap the words below to build the sentence.
Step 6 of 6
6Speak freely
Produce it
Say how long you've lived somewhere (depuis), something you did for a period in the past (pendant), and something that happened a while ago (il y a).
Ex.J'habite dans cette ville depuis cinq ans. Avant, j'ai vécu à Londres pendant trois ans. Je suis arrivé ici il y a cinq ans exactement.
- 1.Depuis combien de temps habitez-vous ici ?
- 2.Qu'est-ce que vous avez fait pendant votre dernier week-end ?
- 3.Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé il y a un an dans votre vie ?