In this blog post you’ll learn how to use the phrase “desde hace” with verbs in the present tense to talk about actions or situations that started in the past and continue to the present.
What is “Desde Hace”?
In Spanish, “desde hace” is used to express how long something has been happening up to the present moment. It is similar to the English structure “for” or “since” when referring to a duration of time.
Structure:
Desde hace + period of time (for how long)
The verb (in this instance “hacer“) is always in the present tense.
Examples:
Trabajo en esta empresa desde hace cinco años. (I have been working at this company for five years.)
Estudio español desde hace dos meses. (I have been studying Spanish for two months.)
Vivimos en esta casa desde hace diez años. (We have been living in this house for ten years.)
Key Points
- “Desde hace” is used with the present tense to indicate that an action started in the past and continues in the present.
- It is different from just “desde,” which is used to refer to a specific starting point in time (e.g., “desde 2010” means “since 2010”).
- The duration is always expressed using a period of time (e.g., “dos semanas,” “tres años,” “cinco minutos“).
Watch and listen to how these Spanish words are pronounced in my YouTube video below. So there you go ¿desde hace cuanto tiempo que aprendes español? Let me know in the comments.
