hace un año
/aθe un aɲo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "a year ago" is translated into Spanish as hace un año.
In an informal context, you can add the adverb ya to the end to create Hace un año ya, which gives the expression a casual touch.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "it makes a year" or "it makes one year".
Which one should you use?
While English places the word "ago" after the time period, Spanish places hace before the time period.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the passage of time in the sense of "ago", the verb hacer (to make/do) is used in the third person singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθe un aɲo/
Did you know?
- While Spanish uses hace before the time period to mean 'ago', Italian uses its equivalent fa after the time period, mirroring the English word order.
- Because hace is used impersonally, it remains in the third person singular even if you were to talk about multiple years, like hace dos años.
- To say 'a year ago' in a way that emphasizes the length of time, some speakers use hace ya un año, shifting the position of ya from the end to the middle.
Examples in context
- Mi tío murió hace un año.My uncle died a year ago.Tatoeba #2084429 by Shishir, translation #266635 by CK
- Hace un año, estábamos aquí.We were here a year ago.Tatoeba #1535468 by marcelostockle, translation #1351008 by _undertoad
- Su cuñada murió hace un año.His sister-in-law just died a year ago.Tatoeba #9996589 by manufrutos, translation #8321618 by Amastan
- Hace un año, comenzamos nuestra colaboración.A year ago, we started our collaboration.
- ¿Recuerdas cuando nos mudamos de casa hace un año?Do you remember when we moved houses a year ago?
- ¡No puedo creer que Juan y María se divorciaron hace un año ya!I can't believe Juan and María got divorced a year ago already!
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about their travel history.
- SofíaFui a Japón hace un año.I went to Japan a year ago.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! ¿Te gustó el viaje?That's great! Did you like the trip?
- SofíaSí, fue una experiencia increíble.Yes, it was an incredible experience.
- MateoYo quiero ir el próximo año.I want to go next year.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries año, hace, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
