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Mastering Time in Spanish: Your Guide to the 'Hace... Que' Construction

Ever tried to say "I have been learning Spanish for two years" and ended up with a clunky, word-for-word translation that sounded a bit... off? You're not alone! English and Spanish handle time expressions quite differently.

Luckily, Spanish has a super elegant and common construction that will make you sound like a native speaker in no time. Let's dive into the world of hace... que.

A stylized antique hourglass with sand flowing, symbolizing the passage of time. Next to it, the phrase "Hace... que..." is delicately written in script. Charming ink and watercolor painting, clean lines, vibrant but soft color palette, storybook style. dark background.

The Main Formula: Actions That Continue into the Present

When you want to talk about an action that started in the past and is still happening now, this is your go-to formula. Think of it as the Spanish equivalent of saying "I have been doing something for..."

The structure is simple:

Hace + [amount of time] + que + [verb in the present tense]

Let's break it down:

  • Hace: From the verb hacer (to do/make), but here it means "ago" or "for".
  • [amount of time]: This is your duration, like dos años (two years), cinco minutos (five minutes), or mucho tiempo (a long time).
  • que: This little word acts as a connector, like "that".
  • [verb in the present tense]: The action that's been happening.

Here are some examples:

  • VivoI live en Colombia. I started living there 3 years ago and I still do.
    • Hace tres años que vivo en Colombia. (I have been living in Colombia for three years.)
  • EstudiamosWe study español. We started 6 months ago and we're still studying.
    • Hace seis meses que estudiamos español. (We have been studying Spanish for six months.)

The Golden Rule

This is the most important part! Even though in English we say "I have been living," in this Spanish construction, you must use the simple present tense (vivo, estudias, trabajan). It feels strange at first, but you'll get used to it!

The Alternative: Desde Hace

You can say the exact same thing by flipping the sentence around and using desde hace ("since" or "for").

The structure is:

[Verb in present tense] + desde hace + [amount of time]

Let's convert our previous examples:

  • Vivo en Colombia desde hace tres años.
  • Estudiamos español desde hace seis meses.

Both versions are correct and widely used. Pick the one that feels most natural to you!

Time to test your knowledge.

Which sentence is correct for 'I have been waiting for 10 minutes'?

Talking About the Past: Actions That Are Finished

What if you want to say something happened a certain amount of time ago? The action is completely finished. For this, we pair hace with the preterite tense.

The structure is a bit different and simpler.

Hace + [amount of time] + que + [verb in the preterite tense]

A more common and slightly simpler way to say the same thing is:

[Verb in the preterite tense] + hace + [amount of time]

Let's see how this works:

  • TerminéI finished la universidad. It happened 5 years ago.
    • Hace cinco años que terminé la universidad.
    • Terminé la universidad hace cinco años. (I finished university five years ago.)
  • VisitaronThey visited el museo. It happened last week.
    • Hace una semana que visitaron el museo.
    • Visitaron el museo hace una semana. (They visited the museum a week ago.)

This interactive slider shows the key difference between using the present and preterite tense.

Ongoing Action (Present) 🟢Finished Action (Past) 🔴

Hace dos horas que estudio.

Hace dos horas que estudié.

Drag the handle to compare

The first sentence means "I have been studying for two hours" (and I'm still studying). The second means "I studied two hours ago" (but I'm not studying anymore). That one little verb change makes all the difference!

Asking Questions: How Long?

To ask "How long have you been...?", the question is just as logical.

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que + [verb in present tense] + ...?

  • ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que vives en Colombia? (How long have you been living in Colombia?)
  • ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que estudian español? (How long have they been studying Spanish?)

See? Once you get the hang of the structure, it flows beautifully.

Let's Practice!

Ready to build a sentence from scratch? Unscramble these words to form a correct sentence.

Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:

que
un
toca
mes
la
guitarra
Hace
ella

And there you have it! The hace... que construction is a powerful tool for talking about time like a true hispanohablante. Start listening for it in conversations and shows, and don't be afraid to try it out yourself. The more you use it, the more natural it will become.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between 'hace... que' and 'desde hace'?

Functionally, they mean the same thing and are often interchangeable. 'Hace [time] que [verb]' and '[Verb] desde hace [time]' both express the duration of an ongoing action. It's mostly a matter of sentence structure and personal preference.

Can I use the imperfect tense with 'hace... que'?

Yes, but it's less common for beginners. You would use it to describe an action that *had been happening* for a certain amount of time in the past before it was interrupted or another past action occurred. For example, 'Hacía una hora que esperaba cuando llegó el autobús' (I had been waiting for an hour when the bus arrived).

Is this construction formal or informal?

The 'hace... que' construction is completely neutral. You can use it in any situation, from chatting with friends to writing a formal email. It's a fundamental part of everyday Spanish.