Introduction
Understanding how to express time in Spanish can be one of the most challenging aspects for English speakers learning the language. Three essential expressions—hace, desde, and llevar—allow you to talk about duration, starting points, and ongoing actions with precision. While English often uses simple verb tenses to convey these concepts, Spanish requires specific constructions that don’t always translate directly. Mastering these time expressions will significantly improve your ability to discuss past events, ongoing situations, and how long something has been happening, making your Spanish sound more natural and fluent.
Understanding Hace for Past Actions
The word hace comes from the verb hacer, meaning to make or to do, but in time expressions, it translates to ago in English. This construction is essential for talking about when something happened in the past.
Basic Structure with Hace
The most common use of hace follows this simple pattern:
Hace + time period + que + preterite verb
Example: Hace tres años que visité España.
Translation: I visited Spain three years ago.
Alternatively, you can place hace at the end of the sentence:
Preterite verb + hace + time period
Example: Visité España hace tres años.
Translation: I visited Spain three years ago.
Both structures are grammatically correct and commonly used by native speakers. The second structure tends to flow more naturally in conversation, while the first emphasizes the time element.
Common Time Periods Used with Hace
You can use hace with various time expressions:
Hace un momento – a moment ago
Hace una hora – an hour ago
Hace dos días – two days ago
Hace una semana – a week ago
Hace un mes – a month ago
Hace varios años – several years ago
Asking Questions with Hace
To ask how long ago something happened, use the question word cuánto, which must agree in gender and number with the time period:
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que estudiaste español?
Translation: How long ago did you study Spanish?
¿Cuántos años hace que te graduaste?
Translation: How many years ago did you graduate?
Notice that cuánto becomes cuántos when referring to plural masculine nouns like años or días.
Using Hace for Ongoing Duration
One of the trickiest aspects for English speakers is that hace can also express duration for actions that started in the past and continue in the present. This is where Spanish differs significantly from English.
The Present Tense Construction
When an action began in the past and is still happening, Spanish uses the present tense with hace:
Hace + time period + que + present tense verb
Example: Hace cinco años que vivo en Madrid.
Literal translation: It makes five years that I live in Madrid.
Natural English: I have been living in Madrid for five years.
This construction confuses many learners because English uses the present perfect continuous tense for this meaning, while Spanish simply uses the present tense. The logic is that the action is still occurring in the present moment, so the present tense is appropriate.
More Examples of Ongoing Actions
Hace dos horas que espero el autobús.
Translation: I have been waiting for the bus for two hours.
Hace mucho tiempo que no te veo.
Translation: I haven’t seen you in a long time.
Hace seis meses que trabajo aquí.
Translation: I have been working here for six months.
Notice in the second example that you can use hace with negative statements to express how long you haven’t done something.
Exploring Desde as a Starting Point
The preposition desde means from or since in English and marks the specific point in time when something began. Unlike hace, which measures duration, desde identifies a starting moment.
Basic Usage of Desde
Desde + specific time point + present tense verb
Example: Vivo en Barcelona desde 2019.
Translation: I have been living in Barcelona since 2019.
You can use desde with various time markers:
Desde enero – since January
Desde el lunes – since Monday
Desde la mañana – since morning
Desde ayer – since yesterday
Desde entonces – since then
Desde niño – since childhood
Combining Desde with Hace
You can use both expressions together when you want to specify both the starting point and the duration:
Desde que llegué, hace tres meses, he visitado muchos museos.
Translation: Since I arrived, three months ago, I have visited many museums.
Desde Hace for Combined Meaning
Spanish also uses desde hace as a compound expression meaning for a period of time:
Estudio español desde hace dos años.
Translation: I have been studying Spanish for two years.
This construction is interchangeable with hace + que in many contexts, though desde hace can emphasize the continuous nature of the action from that point forward.
Mastering Llevar for Duration
The verb llevar literally means to carry or to take, but in time expressions, it indicates how long someone has been doing something. This construction is very common in everyday Spanish and often feels more natural to native speakers than hace.
Basic Structure with Llevar
Subject + conjugated form of llevar + time period + gerund (-ando/-iendo form)
Example: Llevo tres años estudiando español.
Translation: I have been studying Spanish for three years.
The beauty of this construction is that llevar conjugates according to the subject, making it very flexible:
Yo llevo una semana buscando trabajo.
Translation: I have been looking for work for a week.
Ella lleva dos horas cocinando.
Translation: She has been cooking for two hours.
Nosotros llevamos cinco años casados.
Translation: We have been married for five years.
Llevar Without the Gerund
When describing states or conditions rather than actions, you can use llevar with an adjective or past participle instead of a gerund:
Llevo tres días enfermo.
Translation: I have been sick for three days.
Llevan un mes divorciados.
Translation: They have been divorced for a month.
Llevo dos semanas sin dormir bien.
Translation: I haven’t been sleeping well for two weeks.
Asking Questions with Llevar
To ask about duration using llevar, use cuánto tiempo:
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas viviendo aquí?
Translation: How long have you been living here?
¿Cuántos años lleváis juntos?
Translation: How many years have you been together?
Key Differences Between the Three Expressions
Understanding when to use each expression is crucial for fluency. Here are the main distinctions:
Hace for Completed Past Actions
Use hace with the preterite tense when talking about something that happened and finished in the past:
Me gradué hace cinco años.
Translation: I graduated five years ago.
Hace, Desde, or Llevar for Ongoing Actions
When an action started in the past and continues to the present, you have three options:
Hace dos años que estudio medicina.
Estudio medicina desde hace dos años.
Llevo dos años estudiando medicina.
Translation: I have been studying medicine for two years.
All three are correct, but llevar is often preferred in conversation because it feels more dynamic and active. The hace construction is perhaps the most neutral, while desde hace can emphasize the continuous nature from a specific point onward.
Desde for Specific Starting Points
Choose desde when you want to emphasize when something began rather than how long it has lasted:
Trabajo aquí desde septiembre.
Translation: I have been working here since September.
This tells the listener the starting month but doesn’t specify the exact duration.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using the Wrong Tense with Hace
Many learners incorrectly use the present perfect in Spanish when they should use the present tense:
Incorrect: Hace dos años que he vivido aquí.
Correct: Hace dos años que vivo aquí.
Remember, if the action continues in the present, use the present tense, not the present perfect.
Confusing Desde with Desde Hace
Desde requires a specific point in time, while desde hace requires a duration:
Correct: Desde enero (specific month)
Correct: Desde hace tres meses (duration)
Forgetting to Conjugate Llevar
Unlike hace, which remains invariable, llevar must agree with the subject:
Incorrect: Ellos lleva dos horas esperando.
Correct: Ellos llevan dos horas esperando.
Cultural and Regional Variations
While these constructions are used throughout the Spanish-speaking world, some regional preferences exist. In Spain, llevar is extremely common in everyday conversation. In Latin America, you might hear hace constructions more frequently, though this varies by country.
In some regions, particularly parts of Latin America, you might also hear tener used for duration:
Tengo tres años viviendo aquí.
Translation: I have been living here for three years.
While this construction is common in countries like Mexico, Venezuela, and parts of Central America, it’s not considered standard in formal Spanish or in Spain.
Practical Tips for Learning These Expressions
To master these time expressions, practice is essential. Start by describing your own life using all three constructions. Talk about when you started learning Spanish, how long you’ve been at your current job, or when you last visited family.
Create flashcards with different time periods and practice converting them into sentences using hace, desde, and llevar. Listen to native speakers in movies, podcasts, or conversations and pay attention to which construction they use in different contexts.
Remember that while all three can sometimes express similar ideas, native speakers choose based on subtle emphasis and regional preference. The more you expose yourself to authentic Spanish, the more natural these choices will become.
Conclusion
Mastering hace, desde, and llevar transforms your ability to discuss time in Spanish with precision and authenticity. While hace measures duration or indicates time ago, desde marks starting points, and llevar emphasizes ongoing actions with personal involvement. These expressions don’t always translate directly from English, which is why understanding their unique functions is so valuable. With consistent practice and attention to how native speakers use them in context, you’ll develop an intuitive sense for choosing the right expression. Keep practicing these constructions in your daily Spanish conversations, and soon they’ll become second nature.
