Spanish · A2 · Everyday language
Then and Now in Spanish
Learn how to discuss your child's growing interests and friendships by distinguishing between how long something has been happening and when a past event occurred. We will focus on the Spanish equivalents of 'ago', 'for', and 'since'.
What you'll learn
- Use 'desde hace' to describe ongoing hobbies or friendships.
- Use 'hace' to talk about events completed in the past.
- Correctly distinguish between duration and specific starting points.
Spanish phrases for then and now
Estás en el club de ajedrez desde hace un mes.
You have been in the chess club for a month.
Use 'desde hace' for actions that started in the past and continue now.
Tienes esta bici desde hace un año.
You have had this bike for a year.
In Spanish, we use the present tense with 'desde hace' for this meaning.
Conoces a Mia desde hace una semana.
You have known Mia for a week.
Remember the 'personal a' before the name Mia.
Estás practicando todos los días desde el lunes.
You have been practising every day since Monday.
Use 'desde' (without hace) when referring to a specific point in time like 'Monday'.
Te uniste al equipo hace un mes.
You joined the team a month ago.
Use 'hace' + time at the end or beginning to mean 'ago'.
Compramos tu guitarra hace un año.
We bought your guitar a year ago.
This uses the preterite tense because the purchase is finished.
Tu amigo llamó hace una hora.
Your friend called an hour ago.
'Hace una hora' indicates how much time has passed since the call.
Terminaste tu póster hace una semana.
You finished your poster a week ago.
'Hace' is followed by the duration of time that has passed.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
ajedrez
chess
The 'j' is pronounced like a breathy 'h'.
unirse
to join
Used reflexively (te uniste) when talking about joining a group.
hace
ago / it's been
From the verb 'hacer' (to make/do).
Ongoing vs. Completed Time
To say 'for [period of time]' for something still happening, use 'desde hace' + present tense. To say '[period of time] ago' for something finished, use 'hace' + past tense.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing (For) | Present + desde hace + time | Vivo aquí desde hace un año. (I have lived here for a year.) |
| Completed (Ago) | Past + hace + time | Llegué hace una hora. (I arrived an hour ago.) |
| Point in time (Since) | desde + specific date/day | Estudio desde el martes. (I've been studying since Tuesday.) |
More examples
¿Desde hace cuánto tiempo tocas el piano?
How long have you been playing the piano?
A common way to ask about the duration of a current hobby.
Empezaste las clases hace dos días.
You started classes two days ago.
Clear use of 'hace' for a completed action in the past.