In French, "depuis" and "il y a" are used to talk about time, but in different ways. "Depuis" refers to the duration of an action that continues into the present, while "il y a" indicates a specific moment in the past.
Depuis
Depuis is used to express the duration of an action or state that started in the past and continues in the present. It is often translated as "since" or "for" in English.
- Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans. (I have been working here for five years.)
- Il habite à Paris depuis 2010. (He has been living in Paris since 2010.)
Il y a
Il y a is used to talk about a specific moment in the past, with no direct link to the present. It is translated as "ago" in English.
- Il a déménagé à Paris il y a dix ans. (He moved to Paris ten years ago.)
- J'ai mangé il y a une heure. (I ate an hour ago.)
Asking questions with "How long"
- - Tu travailles ici depuis combien de temps? (-How long have you been working here?)
- Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans. (- I have been working here for five years.) - - Tu as déménagé à Paris il y a combien de temps? (- How long ago did you move to Paris?)
- J'ai déménagé à Paris il y a dix ans. (- I moved to Paris ten years ago.)
Comparison and Usage
To choose between "depuis" and "il y a", it is important to consider whether the action continues into the present (use "depuis") or if it occurred at a specific moment in the past and is finished (use "il y a").