In English, we use the Present Perfect (e.g. I have been) to express an action started in the past but that is still going on in the present.
Now look at these examples in French:
Je suis avec ma copine depuis 2005.
I have been with my girlfriend since 2005.
J'habite à Paris depuis quatre ans.
I have lived in Paris for 4 years.
Je parle depuis 45 minutes.
I've been speaking for 45 minutes.
Notice that in French, to express the same kind of actions, we use depuis with Présent indicatif.
Depuis can mean both for + [duration] and since + [date] in this context.
Note that you can never use pour in that context.
See also Using 'depuis' (since / for) with Le Présent and NOT Le Passé Composé (prepositions of time) and the more advanced Using Le Passé Composé or Le Présent in negative sentences with ''depuis''
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
8/01/18
Gruff
Kwiziq language super star
9/12/17
Hi Melanie, I think I understand your confusion.
Remember that in English, "have" is an auxiliary verb in sentences like "I have been" (this tense is called the present perfect in English, and is composed of a present tense conjugation of "to have" + the past participle of the verb, which in this case is "to be" - this structure is very similar to Le Passé Composé).
Now, when we use "depuis" to express "since" or "for" in French, we use it with the present tense. In constrast, in English, we use the present perfect.
So, "être avec" (to be with someone) in the present tense is "Je suis avec". In the English equivalent, "have" appears because we need to transpose the tense to the present perfect and so it becomes "I have been". You see than "to be" is still there but it's become the past participle in English, and have is just the usual auxiliary verb that's always part of that tense. I hope that makes sense?
Nikita
Kwiziq community member
6/01/18
Olof
Kwiziq community member
18/01/18
"I have been with my girlfriend since 2005"
You need to say:
"Je suis avec ma copine depuis 2005"
and never:
"J'ai été avec..."
Ron
Kwiziq community member
31/08/17
It seems to me that in your first phrase «Je joue du piano depuis j'avais six ans» --> J'ai joué au piano depuis j'avais six ans -- would be more correct by using the passé composé along with l'imparfait; however, since playing the piano is a habit or something learned that is still ongoing, I would rephrase it to be Je jouais du piano depuis j'ai eu six ans due to the fact that playing the piano is a habit, learned skill that is continuing. One caveat here, like a former French teacher told the class, the French language is not simply English translated into French.
And your second phrase, I believe is the most grammatically correct.
Bonne chance,
Gruff
Kwiziq language super star
19/07/17
Chris
Kwiziq community member
14/07/17
-- Chris.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
14/07/17
Chris, you're absolutely spot on, but for a tiny mistake :)
Ton absence n'est pas passée inaperçue.
Bonne journée à tous les deux !
Ron
Kwiziq community member
17/06/17
⇒ She's black. Elle est noire.
I am not finding the noir reference in the lesson listed with your question.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
19/06/17
That's a great question, and the answer is simpler than it seems :)
Here it's not the woman who's black, but her clothes = in black (clothing).
Therefore, the adjective won't agree here: "en + [masculine colour]".
"La Dame en noir / en blanc / en vert..."
It would be the same in sentences such as:
"J'aimerais cette jupe en violet." (I'd like this skirt in purple.)
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
William
Kwiziq community member
24 March 2017
1 reply
I have tried to include “depuis”, “durant” and “pour” in the one sentence.
J'étudie le français durant deux heures tous les jours depuis mon anniversaire le mois dernier, mais j’ai seulement étudié durant quatre-vingt-dix minutes hier soir tellement je devrai étudier pour deux et demie heures demain
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
24/03/17
Très bel effort !
Note that "durant" is much less common than its synonym "pendant" in French, and that in most cases (especially with durations) you can simply omit it altogether.
Your sentence is really good *but* for the last "pour" which is wrong here. With durations (times), it will always be "pendant/durant".
You could have said "pour les vacances" or "pour mon examen" for example.
Here's another version :)
"J'étudie le français (pendant) deux heures tous les jours depuis mon anniversaire le mois dernier, car je vais aller en France pour les vacances."
Bonnne journée !
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
4/11/16
No, you can use L'Imparfait with depuis, just not in the same cases as explained in this lesson.
You will use L'Imparfait when talking about an event that WAS/HAD BEEN HAPPENING in the past. Usually in the context of a story:
"Elle dormait depuis dix minutes lorsque soudain elle fut (Passé Simple) réveillée par un bruit."
(She was/had been sleeping for ten minutes when she was suddenly woken up by a noise.)
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
6/11/15
You use "depuis* with the present tense when you're talking about something that started in the past and continues in the present.
For example,
J'habite ici depuis 5 ans - I've lived here for 5 years.
Je travaille depuis ce matin. - I've been working since this morning.
Kurien
Kwiziq community member
8/11/17
J'habite ici depuis 5 ans
translates to
I have been living here for (the past) 5 years
rather than
I've lived here for 5 years.
See
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/71092-quot-I-ve-been-living-quot-vs-quot-I-ve-lived-quot
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/84898/have-lived-vs-have-been-living
Dennis
Kwiziq community member
28 January 2018
5 replies
Just because "I have played football since ...." doesn't mean "I still play football".
Gruff
Kwiziq language super star
29 January 2018
29/01/18
Dennis
Kwiziq community member
29 January 2018
29/01/18
Gruff
Kwiziq language super star
29 January 2018
29/01/18
versus
"I've played all my all life" "I've played football since 2001" (still play)
I can't think of a context in which I'd say "I played football since 2001" - that incomplete to me, like the rest of the sentence is missing - but if that sounds okay to you then it could be a regional thing?
Anyway, French is generally more strict than English, and of course, the point is that depuis is used with the present tense.
Dennis
Kwiziq community member
30 January 2018
30/01/18
Take the case of someone who last played football in 2002 - when he played only one single time. To the question: "Have you played football since 2001?" , he could truthfully say "[yes,]I have played football since 2001 [but just the once]".
But... if you asked the question: "Have you been playing football since 2001" (which is what I think you are meaning), he would answer "No".
To make the meaning absolutely clear, you have to use the progressive form - "have you been playing" (to denote an on-going action) and not the past (as you have done).
I hope this clarifies the point I was making. :-)
Gruff
Kwiziq language super star
30 January 2018
30/01/18
Yes, this is a complexity in the English where emphasis on the auxiliary 'have' can be used to assert something, emphasise a fact and can change the meaning. Of course, in speech this would be very clear, but it's harder to get across in text. The use of the progressive form is unambiguous as you say but, both might used in speech.
It hadn't occurred to me that the English might be read that way so this discussion hopefully clarifies that for everyone reading!
Thanks Dennis.