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French grammar Part of Chapter 4

CEFR A2-B1

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Test yourself (22 questions)

French Time Expressions: depuis, pendant, il y a and pour

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Four words carry most of French time: , , and . English glosses them all as for, since or ago, but each one pulls its own tense with it, and takes the present.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

The four at a glance

The whole system on one screen. Ask one question: is the action still going, finished, a point back in time, or planned ahead?

still going (depuis)finished (pendant)a point back (il y a)planned ahead (pour)What do the colours mean?
WordMarksExample
still going, present 2015.
a finished stretch .
ago .
a planned stretch .

In English: I have lived here since 2015; I worked for two hours; he left two days ago; I'm leaving for a week.

  • depuis: j’habite ici depuis 2015 (still true)

  • pendant: j’ai travaillé pendant deux heures (over)

  • il y a: il est parti il y a deux jours (a point back)

  • pour: je pars pour une semaine (planned)

Timeline from past to future, with now marked.

depuis: "since" or "for", with the present

marks an action that started in the past and is still going on. English says have lived or have been learning; French keeps the plain present, because the action is still happening.

depuisthe present-tense verbWhat do the colours mean?
  • . - I've lived here for two years.
  • . - I've been learning French for a year.
  • . - She's been waiting for an hour.
  • 2020. - We've worked here since 2020.

What follows decides the English, not the French tense:

  • A point in time gives since: 2015, - since 2015, since yesterday.
  • A length of time gives for: , - for three years, for ten minutes.

Asking how long

Ask with (how long) or (since when), and keep the present:

  • - ? - How long have you been learning French?
  • - ? - Since when have you lived here?
  • . - I've lived here for two years.

ça fait ... que

Speech often puts the length of time first with ... . The meaning and the present tense stay the same:

  • . - I've been learning French for three years.
  • ! - I've been waiting for an hour!

depuis with a past tense

Move the whole picture into the past and takes the imparfait: something had been going on when something else happened.

  • . - I had been waiting for an hour when he arrived.
  • . - She had been living in for five years.

takes the passé composé in two cases, and both fit the logic. In the negative, the not-happening is what is still going on; and a finished action can leave a state that is still true:

  • . - I haven't seen him for three years.
  • . - He has been gone for an hour.

pendant: "for" or "during" a bounded duration

measures a finished stretch with a start and an end, usually in the .

still going (depuis)finished (pendant)What do the colours mean?
  • . - I worked for two hours.
  • Espagne . - He lived in Spain for ten years (and no longer does).
  • , . - During the holidays, we visited three countries.

Set it beside and the tense tells the story:

  • . - I've lived here for ten years (and still do).
  • . - I lived here for ten years (and have moved).

Before a length of time, can often be dropped: . (I worked for two hours.)

il y a: "ago"

followed by a length of time means ago. It pins an event to a point in the past, counted back from now, usually with the .

a point back (il y a)What do the colours mean?
  • . - He left two days ago.
  • . - I finished five minutes ago.
  • . - I got your message an hour ago.

The other means there is: . (There's a problem.) And ... is a third use, meaning the same as : . (We've been waiting for twenty minutes.)

pour: "for" a planned future duration

is a planned stretch, usually ahead of you, and usually with a verb of going: , , .

planned ahead (pour)What do the colours mean?
  • . - I'm going away for a week.
  • . - She's going to for three days.
  • . - He's coming for the weekend.

For time actually spent, use , never : . (I worked for two hours.)

Common mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
still true, so the present
time spent is
still waiting, so
ago is y a, not

What to do next

  1. Say how long you have been learning French: ...
  2. Say when you started, with .
  3. Do the drill below, then the French passé composé page.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/7

Which word goes in the gap?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the time word for each gap.

Léa in Lyon

Léa habite à Lyon trois ans. Elle est arrivée trois ans, en septembre. La première année, elle a travaillé dans un café six mois. En juin, elle part à Paris deux semaines.

Gap 1 of 4

Pick the right one

0/3

What does the French mean?

  1. J'apprends le français depuis deux ans.

  2. Il est parti il y a une heure.

  3. J'attendais depuis une heure quand il est arrivé.

Translation drill

0/4

Translate into French, with the tense each time word needs.

  1. I have worked here since 2015.

  2. He left two days ago.

  3. I worked for two hours.

  4. I'm leaving for a week.

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Frequently asked questions

Why does use the present tense in French?
Because describes an action that started in the past and is still going on now, and French treats that as a present fact. means I have been learning French for three years, but is a present: you are still learning. Never put the verb in the when the action is still continuing.
What is the difference between , and y a?
is since or for an action still going on, with the present ( 2015, I have lived here since 2015). is for a finished, bounded stretch, usually with the ( , I worked for two hours). y a with a length of time means ago ( y a , he left two days ago).
How do you ask 'how long have you been...' in French?
Use with the present: - ? (how long have you been learning French?). For since when, use : - ? The answer keeps the present: . In speech, ? is just as common.
Can you use with the ?
Yes, in the negative, for something that has not happened for a while: (I haven't seen him for three years). It also works when a finished action leaves a state that is still true: (he has been gone for an hour). What you cannot do is use the for an action that is itself still going on.
Is it pour or for 'for two weeks'?
It depends on whether the time is planned or spent. Pour is the planned stretch, usually with , or : (I'm going away for two weeks). is the time actually spent: (I worked for two weeks). is wrong.