depuis
/də.pɥi/
depuis is the French preposition for 'since' or 'for' when referring to a period of time that began in the past and continues to the present.
depuis is used to indicate the starting point of a duration that is still ongoing. You can use it with a specific point in time, such as a particular month or year, to show when the action began.
Which one should you use?
Use depuis for an action that continues into the present. In contrast, use pendant for an action that lasted for a specific duration but is now completed.
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing an action that started in the past and is still happening, you must use depuis with the present tense. You can follow depuis directly with a specific point in time.
How do you pronounce it?
/də.pɥi/ (2 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use a past tense (passé composé) with depuis when trying to translate 'I have been…' literally. In French, you must use the present tense for these ongoing actions.
Did you know?
- In very informal spoken French, speakers sometimes replace depuis with ça fait, as in ça fait deux ans, to describe the same duration.
- Unlike the English 'since', which can be used for a cause ('since you are here'), the French depuis is strictly limited to time and cannot be used to mean 'because'.
- The suffix of depuis is linked to the Old French word puis, which is a descendant of the Latin 'post', meaning 'after'.
Examples in context
- J'habite ici depuis cinq ans.I have been living here for five years.
- Il travaille pour cette entreprise depuis dix ans.He has been working for this company for ten years.
- Ça fait longtemps que je ne t'ai pas vu !I haven't seen you in a long time!
- Ça fait deux mois que nous sommes ensemble.We have been together for two months.
- depuis lundiSince Monday
- depuis deux heuresFor two hours
- depuis que je suis arrivéSince I arrived
- depuis que nous étudionsSince we have been studying
- J'habite ici depuis trois ans.I have lived here for three years.
- J'habite à Paris depuis trois ans.I have lived in Paris for three years.
- Il pleut depuis ce matin.It has been raining since this morning.
- Elle travaille ici depuis lundi.She has been working here since Monday.
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are talking about their new hobby.
- NathanTu fais du yoga depuis longtemps ?Have you been doing yoga for a long time?
- EmmaNon, je pratique depuis un mois seulement.No, I have only been practicing for a month.
- NathanC'est super, j'aimerais essayer aussi.That's great, I would like to try too.
- EmmaOn peut y aller ensemble demain !We can go together tomorrow!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry depuis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries depuis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
