French Depuis vs Pendant vs Il Y A: How to Talk About Time
A clear, example-driven guide to trois tricky French time expressions: depuis, pendant, and il y a, with rules and a comparison table.
French depuis vs pendant vs il y a is one of those gaps that trips up learners at every level. All three relate to time, but they work in completely different ways, and mixing them up changes your meaning entirely.
The good news: each one follows a clear logic. Once you understand what each expression is actually doing, the right choice becomes obvious. This guide breaks them down one by one, then shows you how to tell them apart at a glance.
What Each One Actually Means
Before getting into grammar, here is the core idea behind each expression.
| Expression | English equivalent | Core idea |
|---|---|---|
| depuis | since / for (ongoing) | An action started in the past and is STILL happening now |
| pendant | for / during | An action lasted a specific amount of time and is now finished (or describes a span) |
| il y a | ago | A point in the past, measured from now backwards |
Notice that depuis and pendant can both translate as "for" in English. That is the main source of confusion. The difference is not in the translation. It is in whether the action is still going on.
Depuis: For Ongoing Actions and Since a Point in Time
Depuis is used when something started in the past and continues into the present. In English you might say "I have been studying French for two years" or "I have lived here since 2020." In French, both of those use depuis.
Crucially, depuis uses the present tense in French, not the passé composé. This surprises English speakers, because in English you use a present perfect ("I have been..."). In French, the present tense carries that meaning when paired with depuis.
- J'étudie le français depuis deux ans. (I have been studying French for two years, and I still am.)
- Elle habite à Montréal depuis 2020. (She has lived in Montreal since 2020, and still does.)
- Nous attendons depuis une heure. (We have been waiting for an hour.)
Depuis can also pair with a specific point in time rather than a duration: depuis lundi, depuis janvier, depuis son arrivée. In all cases, the situation is still ongoing at the time of speaking.
One exception: in negative sentences, you can use depuis with the passé composé. "Je n'ai pas vu Marie depuis deux semaines" means you have not seen Marie for two weeks. The action (seeing Marie) is not ongoing; its absence is.
Pendant: For Completed Durations
Pendant describes how long something lasted when it is over, or when you are talking about a defined span of time rather than an ongoing state. It pairs naturally with the passé composé or the imparfait, though it can appear in any tense when you are describing a fixed period.
- J'ai étudié le français pendant deux ans. (I studied French for two years, and then stopped.)
- Il a plu pendant trois jours. (It rained for three days.)
- Pendant les vacances, on mangeait bien. (During the holidays, we ate well.)
A simple test: ask yourself whether the action is still happening right now. If yes, use depuis. If no, use pendant.
Pendant can also mean "during" when followed by a noun: pendant le repas (during the meal), pendant la réunion (during the meeting). Here it is not about duration at all, just simultaneity.
Il Y A: Pointing to a Moment in the Past
Il y a, when used as a time expression, means "ago." It locates an event at a specific point in the past, measured backwards from now. It does not describe duration. It describes a moment.
- Il a commencé il y a deux ans. (He started two years ago.)
- Je l'ai rencontré il y a six mois. (I met him six months ago.)
- Elle est arrivée il y a une heure. (She arrived an hour ago.)
Il y a always refers to a point in the past, not to how long something lasted or whether it is still happening. If you want to say something started two years ago and is still happening, you combine il y a with depuis: "Il a commencé il y a deux ans" (he started two years ago) versus "Il étudie depuis deux ans" (he has been studying for two years, still is).
Side-by-Side Comparison: The Same Idea, Three Ways
Here is the clearest way to see the difference. Imagine someone who moved to France two years ago and still lives there.
| Sentence | Expression used | What it communicates |
|---|---|---|
| Il habite en France depuis deux ans. | depuis | He moved two years ago and still lives there now. |
| Il a habité en France pendant deux ans. | pendant | He lived there for two years, but no longer does. |
| Il a déménagé en France il y a deux ans. | il y a | He moved to France two years ago (focuses on when, not duration). |
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Most errors come down to two habits learners bring from English.
- Using passé composé with depuis for ongoing actions. Wrong: "J'ai étudié le français depuis deux ans" (unless negative). Correct: "J'étudie le français depuis deux ans."
- Using pendant when the action is still happening. Wrong: "Je vis ici pendant cinq ans." Correct: "Je vis ici depuis cinq ans."
- Confusing il y a (ago) with depuis (for/since). "Il y a deux ans" = two years ago. "Depuis deux ans" = for two years (still ongoing). These answer different questions.
A Quick Decision Guide
Use this when you are unsure which expression to reach for.
- Is the action still happening now? Use depuis + present tense.
- Did the action happen for a fixed amount of time and then stop? Use pendant + passé composé or imparfait.
- Are you saying when something happened (ago)? Use il y a.
- Are you saying something happened during a specific period? Use pendant + noun (pendant les vacances, pendant la guerre).
If you want to build solid habits with expressions like these at the right level for you, check out the structured lesson paths on Fréquence, which match grammar and vocabulary practice to your current level from A1 to C1.
How These Expressions Fit Into Your Level
Depuis appears in the DELF A2 and is expected solidly at B1. Pendant is even more basic and shows up at A1/A2. Il y a as a time marker is also A2. Getting all three right is a B1 benchmark, meaning examiners and native speakers will notice if you mix them up at that level and above.
If you are working toward an exam like the TCF or TEF Canada, these expressions appear regularly in the reading and listening sections, and errors in the writing section cost points. You can explore exam-specific preparation at Fréquence's Canada exam prep pages.
For vocabulary tied to time and frequency, spaced repetition is the most efficient way to make these stick long-term. The SRS verb and vocabulary tool on Fréquence is built around exactly this kind of pattern practice.
FAQ
Can depuis and pendant both mean "for" in French?
Yes, but they are not interchangeable. Depuis means "for" when an action is still happening: "Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans" (I have been working here for five years and still do). Pendant means "for" when the action is finished: "J'ai travaillé là-bas pendant cinq ans" (I worked there for five years, then stopped).
Why do French people use the present tense with depuis instead of the passé composé?
Because depuis signals that the action is still happening now. In French, the present tense covers actions that are current, including ones that started in the past and have not ended. The passé composé would imply the action is over, which contradicts the meaning of depuis in a positive sentence.
What is the difference between il y a and depuis?
Il y a tells you when something happened, measured back from now: "il y a trois jours" means three days ago. Depuis tells you how long an ongoing situation has been true: "depuis trois jours" means for the past three days and still now. They answer different questions and cannot replace each other.
Can I use pendant with the present tense?
Yes, but only when describing a future span or a hypothetical one: "Pendant les prochaines semaines, je vais réviser" (Over the next few weeks, I am going to revise). When talking about a completed past duration, pendant goes with the passé composé or imparfait, not the present.
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