depuis quand / depuis combien de temps

Asking About Duration with Depuis

Level 2

Both phrases ask about actions that started in the past and are still happening. Depuis quand asks 'Since when?' (a point in time), while depuis combien de temps asks 'For how long?' (a duration).

How It Works

To ask about the duration of an ongoing action, French uses two main structures:

1. Depuis quand (Since when):
This targets a specific starting point. The answer is usually a date, a time, or a specific event.
Example: Depuis quand habites-tu ici ? (Since when have you lived here?) -> Depuis 2010.

2. Depuis combien de temps (For how long):
This targets the length of time. The answer is a duration.
Example: Depuis combien de temps habites-tu ici ? (How long have you lived here?) -> Depuis dix ans.

Key Rules:

  • Tense (Present): Unlike English, which uses the 'have been doing' form, French uses the present tense because the action is still happening now.
  • Tense (Past): To describe an action that 'had been' going on until a past event, use the imparfait. (e.g., J'habitais à Paris depuis deux ans quand j'ai trouvé ce travail.)
  • Spoken Alternatives: In casual conversation, French speakers often use Ça fait... que or Il y a... que to express duration. (e.g., Ça fait deux ans que je suis ici.)
  • Liaison: The liaison in depuis (pronouncing the 's' as a /z/ before a vowel) is optional. It is common in formal speech but often skipped in casual conversation.
  • Useful Phrases: You can use Depuis que followed by a full clause (e.g., Depuis que je suis petit...) or the idiom Depuis toujours (Since forever/Always).
  • Negative Sentences: If you are saying how long it has been since something last happened, you use the passé composé (e.g., Je n'ai pas fumé depuis deux ans).

Examples (5)

  1. Depuis quand est-ce qu'elle apprend le français ?

    Since when has she been learning French?

    Word by Word: Since when is it that she learns the French?

    This asks for the specific moment she started, such as 'since last year' or 'since January'.

  2. Depuis combien de temps travaillez-vous dans cette banque ?

    How long have you been working at this bank?

    Word by Word: Since how much of time work you in this bank?

    This asks for the total duration, such as 'for five years'.

  3. Depuis quand habites-tu à Paris ?

    Since when have you lived in Paris?

    Word by Word: Since when live you at Paris?

    A common way to ask for the starting point using simple inversion.

  4. Depuis combien de temps est-il malade ?

    How long has he been sick?

    Word by Word: Since how much of time is he sick?

    Uses the present tense 'est' because he is still sick now.

  5. Je ne l'ai pas vu depuis son mariage.

    I haven't seen him since his wedding.

    Word by Word: I not him have past seen since his wedding.

    In a negative sentence, 'depuis' is used with the passé composé to show how long the action has NOT happened.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the past tense for ongoing actions.

    Depuis combien de temps as-tu habité ici ?
    Depuis combien de temps habites-tu ici ?

    In French, if you still live there, you must use the present tense. The past tense implies you no longer live there.

  • Using 'pendant' to ask about an ongoing action.

    Pendant combien de temps travailles-tu ici ?
    Depuis combien de temps travailles-tu ici ?

    'Pendant' is used for completed durations. Since the work is ongoing, 'depuis' is required.

Words in This Pattern

depuisquand