Use "depuis" with French tenses

"Depuis" is a versatile French preposition that can be tricky for English speakers. It's commonly used to express duration, but its usage varies depending on the tense. Let's explore how to use "depuis" correctly with different French tenses.

Present Tense

With the present tense, "depuis" is used to describe an action or state that began in the past and is still ongoing. In English, this is often expressed using the present perfect continuous.

Example:

• J'habite à Paris depuis trois ans. (I have been living in Paris for three years.)
• Il travaille ici depuis 2010. (He has been working here since 2010.)

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense with "depuis" describes how long an action had been happening up to a point in the past.

Example:

• Quand je l'ai rencontré, il étudiait le français depuis six mois. (When I met him, he had been studying French for six months.)

Present Perfect (Passé Composé)

Be careful! "Depuis" is rarely used with the passé composé. Instead, use "pendant" or "pour" to express a completed duration.

Example:

• J'ai vécu à Londres pendant trois ans. (I lived in London for three years.) Not: J'ai vécu à Londres depuis trois ans.

Negative Sentences

In negative sentences, "depuis" can be used with the present tense to emphasize the duration of time something hasn't happened.

Example:

• Je n'ai pas mangé depuis hier. (I haven't eaten since yesterday.)

Using "Depuis" with "Que"

"Depuis que" introduces a clause indicating when an ongoing action started.

Example:

• Je suis plus heureux depuis que j'ai déménagé. (I've been happier since I moved.)

Remember, mastering "depuis" takes practice. Pay attention to the context and tense to use it correctly in your French conversations and writing.