Level: A2 (Upper Beginner)
🎧 Audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a native speaker & professional voice artist from France
The French Word of the Day is depuis, meaning “since” and “for.” This comprehensive lesson clears up the confusion and shows you exactly how to use depuis with confidence.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
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📘 Depuis meaning
The preposition depuis means “since” or “for” in French. It’s used with the present tense for actions that began in the past and continue today, and can also mean “from” when describing a vantage point. See examples below.
🎧 Depuis pronunciation
Depuis is pronounced /dəpɥi/ in IPA, which sounds roughly like “duh-pwee.”
📝 French and English examples
Depuis – since, for
1. Time duration
When followed by a period of time, depuis with the present tense indicates how long an action has been going on and is translated as “for.”
J’apprends le français depuis deux ans.
I have been learning French for two years.
2. Event with specified date
When followed by an event or a specific date, depuis means “since” or “has occurred since.” “Cinquième” (fifth) is an example of an ordinal number.
Tu joues au tennis depuis ton cinquième anniversaire.
You have been playing tennis since your fifth birthday.
3. Asking how long
To ask “how long?” an action has been occurring, use “Depuis combien de temps ?” This question uses inversion.
Depuis combien de temps habitez-vous en France ?
How long have you been living in France?
4. Events which haven’t occurred since a specified time
If an event has not occurred since (or for) a certain amount of time, depuis is used with the passé composé. What follows depuis can be both a duration of time or a specific year or date.
Je n’ai pas fumé depuis neuf ans.
I haven’t smoked for nine years.
Je n’ai pas fumé depuis 2013.
I haven’t smoked since 2013.
👉 Note: In everyday French, speakers often use the present tense: Je ne fume plus depuis neuf ans (I haven’t smoked for nine years).
5. Vantage point
“Depuis” can also mean “from” when referring to a specific vantage point.
On voit la mer depuis le sommet de la montagne.
You can see the sea from the mountain summit.
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🔎 Depuis vs “Ça fait … que”
In French, both depuis and ça fait … que can be used to express how long an action has been going on. They are interchangeable in meaning, but depuis is more neutral and common in writing, while ça fait … que is especially frequent in everyday spoken French.
Depuis
J’habite à Paris depuis 5 ans.
I have been living in Paris for 5 years.
Ça fait … que
Ça fait 5 ans que j’habite à Paris.
I have been living in Paris for 5 years.
✅ Negative form
The negative works the same way with both structures:
Je n’ai pas fumé depuis 9 ans.
I haven’t smoked for 9 years.
Ça fait 9 ans que je n’ai pas fumé.
I haven’t smoked for 9 years.
✅ Note on “Il y a … que”
You may also see il y a … que used the same way. For example:
Il y a 5 ans que j’habite à Paris.
I have been living in Paris for 5 years.
This form is grammatically correct but is less common in modern French and can sound a bit formal or old-fashioned.
✅ Note on “Depuis que”
Another variation is depuis que (since), which introduces a full clause rather than just a time expression.
Depuis que j’habite à Paris, je prends le métro tous les jours.
Since I’ve been living in Paris, I take the metro every day.
🔗 Related words and expressions
🚀 Expand your French vocabulary!
Now that you’ve mastered depuis, check out my lesson on pour, which means “for” when expressing future plans. For example: Je suis ici pour une semaine (I’m here for a week).
👉 Learn pour here »
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