Preposition Depuis (Since/For)

English uses two different words: "since" and "for." French uses only one: depuis. This makes your vocabulary list shorter. However, the tense is the tricky part. English uses the "present perfect continuous" tense. That is a mouthful! French keeps it simple. You just use the simple present tense. It feels weird at first. You might want to use a past tense. Resist that urge! If you are still doing the action, use the present. It is like saying "I live here since 2010." That sounds wrong in English. In French, it is perfect. It is the gold standard. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. If the light is still green (the action is going), use the present.

1. 1Creating a sentence with depuis follows a very logical path.
2. 2Pick your subject (like Je or Tu).
3. 3Conjugate your verb in the present tense.
4. 4Add the word depuis right after the verb.
5. 5Add a specific starting point (like a date).
6. 6OR add a duration of time (like three hours).
7. 7Check if the action is still happening.
8. 8If yes, your sentence is complete!
9. 9For example: Je + travaille + depuis + midi. This means you started at noon and you are still working. Easy, right?

Use depuis when you talk about a starting point. Say depuis lundi for "since Monday." Use it for specific years like depuis 2020. It also works for events. You can say depuis mon anniversaire. Use depuis for durations too. Say depuis deux heures for "for two hours." This is great for job interviews. You can say, Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans. It shows you are reliable and stable. Use it when ordering food at a busy bistro. J'attends ma soupe depuis une éternité ! This shows you are hungry and a bit dramatic. French culture loves a little drama. It is a very versatile word. It is the Swiss Army knife of French time expressions.

Do not use depuis for finished actions. This is the golden rule. If you lived in Lyon but now live in Paris, stop! Do not use depuis. Use pendant instead. If you finished your homework, depuis is not invited to the party. Depuis needs that "still happening" vibe. Think of it like a lit candle. Is it still burning? Use depuis. Is it just a cold pile of wax? Use pendant. Also, do not use depuis to mean "ago." For that, you need il y a. If something happened and ended, depuis stays home. It only likes active, ongoing stories. Like a bad relationship that is finally over, just let it go. If it's over, depuis is over too.

The most common mistake is using the past tense. Many people say J'ai habité ici depuis un an. This is a big no-no. It sounds like you moved out yesterday. Use J'habite. Another trap is the word pour. English speakers love to use pour for time. Pour is mostly for future intentions. You might say, Je vais à Paris pour trois jours. But for something that started in the past, pour is useless. Do not let English logic scramble your brain. Another mistake is mixing up depuis and pendant. Remember: depuis is a bridge. Pendant is a box. One is open-ended. The other is closed. Don't mix your bridges and your boxes!

Let's compare depuis, pendant, and il y a. Pendant is for a duration that is totally finished. J'ai dormi pendant huit heures. I am awake now. The sleeping is done. Il y a is for a single point in the past. It means "ago." Je suis arrivé il y a dix minutes. I arrived once. It is not a continuous arriving process. Depuis is the only one that stays active. Je suis ici depuis dix minutes. I am still here. I haven't left yet. Il y a is the anchor in the sand. Pendant is the whole movie. Depuis is the live stream that is still playing. Use them correctly to sound like a local.