Hace, Desde, and Desde Hace: Talking About Time and Duration in Spanish

In this lesson, you will distinguish three common time expressions: hace for how long ago a completed event happened, desde for the starting point of something that continues, and desde hace for the duration of something that continues.

Hace + duration for a completed event

Use hace + a length of time when you say how long ago a completed event happened.

— I arrived two hours ago.
— I started the course three months ago.
— I went to Madrid a year ago.

The event itself is completed and placed before the present by the duration.

Desde + starting point

Use desde + a point in time when the situation started then and continues now.

— I have lived here since 2024.
— I have worked at this hotel since January.
— I have been studying Spanish since Monday.

Spanish commonly uses the present tense here because the situation is still continuing now.

Desde hace + duration

Use desde hace + a length of time when the situation began in the past and continues now.

— I have lived here for two years.
— I have worked at this hotel for six months.
— I have been studying Spanish for one hour.

Starting point versus duration

Compare:

— I have lived here since 2024.
— I have lived here for two years.

Desde introduces a starting point. Desde hace introduces a duration.

Completed event versus continuing situation

Compare:

— I moved here two years ago.
— I have lived here for two years.

The move is a completed event. The residence continues to the present.

Spanish present tense versus common English perfect forms

English often uses “have lived,” “have worked,” or “have been studying” for an action that started in the past and continues now. Spanish commonly uses the present tense with desde or desde hace.

— I have worked here since January.
— I have worked here for five months.

Ask when something started

Use:

— Since when have you worked here?

Possible answer:

— I have worked here since March.

Ask how long something has continued

Use:

— How long have you been studying Spanish?

Possible answer:

— I have been studying Spanish for eight months.

Ask how long ago a completed event happened

Use:

— How long ago did you arrive?

Possible answer:

— I arrived two hours ago.

Do not infer continuation from hace alone

— I arrived two hours ago tells you when the arrival happened. It does not by itself state that another activity has continued for two hours.

Do not switch to past tense when the Spanish situation still continues

If you still live in Madrid now:

— I have lived in Madrid since 2023.

The Spanish present is appropriate because the residence is still current.

A practical time-expression method

If you mean “ago” before a completed event, use hace + duration.
If you give the starting point of a continuing situation, use desde + point in time.
If you give the duration of a continuing situation, use desde hace + duration.
Use the Spanish present for a situation that began earlier and continues now.
Ask ¿Desde cuándo...? for the starting point.
Ask ¿Desde hace cuánto tiempo...? for continuing duration.
Ask ¿Hace cuánto tiempo...? for how long ago a completed event happened.

From Hace and Desde to Ongoing Activities

You can now distinguish a completed past event from a situation that began earlier and continues now. The next lesson adds seguir + gerund and llevar + time to describe continuing activities and measure their duration.