This lesson explores five ways to use the French preposition depuis, which can translate to since and for. J’apprends le français depuis très longtemps! I’ve been learning French for a very long time!
depuis
since
Pronunciation [dəpɥi]
Depuis – since, for
Example sentences
1) Time duration
When followed by a period of time and used with the present tense, depuis indicates how long an action has been occurring and means “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 specified date, depuis indicates since or “has occurred since”. Cinqième (fifth) is an example of an ordinal number.
Tu joues au tennis depuis ton cinqième anniversaire.
You have played tennis since your fifth birthday.
3) Asking how long
To ask “how long?” and action has been occurring, use “Depuis combien de temps ?” This sentence uses the inversion form of asking questions.
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.
5) Vantage point
Depuis can also be used to mean from in the context of “from a specific vantage point”.
On voit la mer depuis le sommet de la montagne.
You can see the sea from the mountain summit.
Related lessons
- French numbers 1-100
- Pendant – during
- Dates in French
- Saying the year in French
- Prepositions overview
Word of the Day archive | Lessons by David Issokson
