Learning how to talk about time in French can be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to understanding the difference between the words depuis and pendant. Both are used to talk about time, but they are not interchangeable. This article will break down the differences and help you understand when to use each term.
Firstly, let’s look at depuis. Depuis is used to indicate an action or state that began in the past and is still continuing in the present. In English, this can often be translated as “since” or “for.” For example:
1. Je vis à Paris depuis cinq ans. (I have been living in Paris for five years.)
2. Elle travaille ici depuis 2008. (She has been working here since 2008.)
In these examples, the action started in the past and is still continuing in the present. It’s important to note that when using depuis in French, you typically use the present tense in the main clause because the action is still ongoing.
Now, let’s move on to pendant. Pendant is used to indicate a specific duration of time during which an action takes place and is often translated as “for.” This action is usually completed and doesn’t necessarily extend into the present. For example:
1. J’ai étudié le français pendant deux ans. (I studied French for two years.)
2. Il a regardé la télé pendant trois heures. (He watched TV for three hours.)
In these cases, the actions were completed in the past and do not continue into the present. When using pendant, the tense of the main verb will often be in the past tense, indicating that the action has been completed.
To solidify your understanding, let’s compare these two terms side by side with similar sentences:
1. Je cours depuis une heure. (I have been running for an hour.)
2. J’ai couru pendant une heure. (I ran for an hour.)
In the first sentence, the use of depuis indicates that the action of running began an hour ago and is still ongoing. In the second sentence, the use of pendant indicates that the action of running lasted for an hour but is now completed.
Here’s another example to make the distinction clearer:
1. Je travaille ici depuis trois mois. (I have been working here for three months.)
2. J’ai travaillé ici pendant trois mois. (I worked here for three months.)
Again, the first sentence suggests that the speaker is still currently working at that place, while the second sentence indicates that the work was done in the past and is no longer happening.
There are also some special cases where the use of depuis and pendant might slightly overlap, but context usually clarifies the meaning. For instance:
1. Nous attendons depuis une heure. (We have been waiting for an hour.)
2. Nous attendons pendant une heure. (We wait for an hour.)
In the first sentence, the waiting started an hour ago and is still happening. In the second sentence, it describes a planned duration of waiting that will take place.
Furthermore, there is another expression in French, il y a, which is often used to talk about time in the past and can be translated to “ago.” For example:
1. J’ai vu ce film il y a deux jours. (I saw that movie two days ago.)
This expression is used to specify when an event occurred in the past</b
