How would you say you have studied Spanish for a certain amount of time? When talking about when we did an activity of for how long we have been doing it, it is very common to use the temporal phrase hacer + time expression.
Spanish
English
Hace dos años que estudio Francés.
I have been studying French for two years.
Use of Hacer + Time Expression
Rule 1. The verb hacer by itself means to do something, but when combined with a period of time, it indicates the duration or process of an activity.
Spanish
English
Hace tres semanas que no como carne.
I haven't eaten meat for three weeks.
Rule 2. It can also indicate when an activity was completed.
Spanish
English
Hace dos meses que terminé la carrera.
I finished my degree two months ago.
Form of Hacer + Time Expression
This expression uses the third form of the verb hacer + a time expression that indicates for how long or when you did the activity. How the accompanying activity verb is conjugated specifies whether the activity has been concluded or continues into the present.
Rule 3. This structure expresses that the activity began in the past and continues in the present:
| hace + | time + | que + | verb in present tense |
|---|
| hace + | time + | que + | verb in present tense |
|---|
Spanish
English
Hace dos meses que estudio en Ecuador.
I have been studying in Ecuador for two months.
In this example, the speaker explains that he has been learning Spanish in Ecuador for two months.
Rule 4. This structure expresses that the activity took place in the past and has been concluded:
| hace + | time + | que + | verb in preterite |
|---|
| hace + | time + | que + | verb in preterite |
|---|
Spanish
English
Hace dos meses que estudié en Ecuador.
I studied in Ecuardor two months ago.
In this case, he is not indicating how long he has been studying but that he finished studying Spanish two months ago.
Quiz
1/3
_________ tres meses que voy a clases de música.
0
correct answers.