The words “hace,” “desde,” and “desde hace” all relate to time, but they have different functions. In this article, we’ll go over the definitions and usage of each of these words.
Hace: Definition and Usage
“Hace” is an impersonal verb form of the verb “hacer,” which means “to do.” In Spanish, “hace” is often used to talk about how long ago something happened. For example, “Hace tres años que vivo en España” means “I’ve been living in Spain for three years.”
In the present tense, “hace” is often used to talk about something that’s been happening for a while and is still ongoing. For example, “Hace tres meses que estudio español” means “I’ve been studying Spanish for three months.”
Desde: Definition and Usage
“Desde” is a preposition that means “since” or “from.” It’s often used to talk about a specific point in time, such as a specific date. For example, “Estudio español desde el año 2015” means “I’ve been studying Spanish since 2015.”
Desde Hace: Definition and Usage
“Desde hace” is a combination of “desde” and “hace.” Together, they mean “since” or “for” a specific amount of time. For example, “Vivo en España desde hace tres años” means “I’ve been living in Spain for three years.” “Estudio español desde hace tres años” means “I’ve been studying Spanish for three years.”
“Desde hace” is often used to talk about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. For example, “Estudio español desde hace tres años” means “I’ve been studying Spanish for three years and I’m still doing it.”
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
One of the most common mistakes when using hace and desde is to confuse their meanings. Hace is used to indicate the amount of time that has passed since an action or event occurred. On the other hand, desde is used to indicate the starting point of an action or event. For example:
- Hace dos horas que salí de casa. (I left home two hours ago.)
- Desde que llegué a España, he aprendido mucho español. (Since I arrived in Spain, I have learned a lot of Spanish.)
Confusion Between Desde and Desde Hace
Another common mistake is to confuse desde and desde hace. “Desde” is used to indicate the starting point of an action or event, while the phrase “desde hace” is used to indicate the duration of an action or event. For example:
- Desde que llegué a España, he aprendido mucho español. (Since I arrived in Spain, I have learned a lot of Spanish.)
- Llevo viviendo en España desde hace cinco años. (I have been living in Spain for five years.)
It is important to note that desde hace is usually followed by a period of time, such as días (days), semanas (weeks), meses (months), or años (years). For example:
- Llevo estudiando español desde hace tres años. (I have been studying Spanish for three years.)
To avoid confusion, it is recommended to use desde when referring to the starting point of an action or event, and desde hace when referring to the duration of an action or event.
Test Your Knowledge!
Now that you have learned the differences between hace, desde and desde hace, it is time to test your knowledge. Here are some exercises to help you practice and master these temporal markers in Spanish.
By practicing these exercises, you will become more confident in using hace, desde and desde hace in Spanish. Keep in mind that these temporal markers are essential in expressing time and duration in Spanish.
Use of Hace, Desde and Desde Hace in Conjunctions
When using conjunctions in Spanish, it is important to understand the difference between hace, desde and desde hace. These words are used to talk about when and how long something has been happening, and they are often used in conjunction with a conjugated verb.
- Hace: This word is used to talk about how long ago something happened. It is often used in conjunction with the verb hacer, which means “to do”. For example, “Hace dos años que vivo en España” means “I have been living in Spain for two years”. Here, the verb “vivo” is conjugated to match the subject, and “hace” is used to indicate how long ago the action began.
Desde: This word is used to talk about when an action began. It is often used in conjunction with a conjugated verb in the present or present perfect tense. For example, “Desde que llegué a la oficina, he estado trabajando” means “Since I arrived at the office, I have been working”. Here, the verb “llegué” is conjugated to match the subject, and “desde” is used to indicate when the action began.
Desde hace: This phrase is used to talk about how long an action has been happening. It is often used in conjunction with a conjugated verb in the present or present perfect tense. For example, “Desde hace dos horas estoy estudiando” means “I have been studying for two hours”. Here, the verb “estoy estudiando” is conjugated to match the subject, and “desde hace” is used to indicate how long the action has been happening.
Desde que: This phrase is followed by an event that marks the beginning of a situation that has been happening, for example “Desde que llegué de las vacaciones, retomé el gimnasio” (Since I arrived from the vacactions, I got back to the gym)
It is important to note that “desde que” and “desde hace” are not interchangeable. “Desde que” is used to talk about when an action began, while “desde hace” is used to talk about how long an action has been happening.
Really useful short tutorials. Thank you!!