Mastering Time Prepositions: Depuis, Pendant, Pour, Il y a

Total Word Count: 1,750+ words

"J'habite à Paris pour 2 ans ?" ❌ "J'habite à Paris depuis 2 ans ?" ✅

Time prepositions in French are notoriously difficult because they don't map directly to English "For", "Since", or "Ago". Using the wrong one changes the meaning of the timeline entirely.

This guide clarifies the 5 distinct Time Travelers: Depuis, Pendant, Pour, En, Il y a.

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1. DEPUIS (Since / For)

Concept: Action started in the past and is still happening now. English equivalent: Have been doing... for / since. Tense used: Présent (mostly).

The Rule: Activity started in past -> Still going on -> DEPUIS.

Examples:

• "J'habite ici depuis 2010." (I have lived here since 2010 - and I still do).
• "J'apprends le français depuis 3 ans." (I have been learning French for 3 years - and I'm still learning).

Trap:

• ❌ "J'habite ici pour 3 ans." (WRONG. "Pour" is for the future).
• ❌ "J'ai habité ici depuis 3 ans." (WRONG. Don't use Passé Composé unless it's a negation: "Je n'ai pas fumé depuis 3 ans").

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2. PENDANT (During / For)

Concept: Action started and finished in the past. It shows the duration of a completed event. English equivalent: For / During. Tense used: Passé Composé / Passé Simple.

The Rule: Activity Start -> Activity End -> It's over -> PENDANT.

Examples:

• "J'ai habité à Londres pendant 5 ans." (I lived in London for 5 years - but now I don't).
• "J'ai dormi pendant 8 heures." (I slept for 8 hours).

Note: "Durant" is a synonym for "Pendant."

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3. POUR (For - Future Intention)

Concept: Projecting a duration into the future. English equivalent: For (future). Tense used: Présent / Futur / Aller + Infinitive.

The Rule: I am going somewhere / Scheduling something -> intended duration -> POUR.

Examples:

• "Je vais en France pour 2 semaines." (I'm going to France for 2 weeks).
• "J'ai loué cet appartement pour un an." (I rented this apartment for a year).

Comparison:

• "J'y vais pour 2 ans." (Future plan).
• "J'y suis depuis 2 ans." (Current reality).
• "J'y suis resté pendant 2 ans." (Past reality).

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4. IL Y A (Ago)

Concept: A point in time back in the past. English equivalent: Ago. Tense used: Passé Composé / Imparfait.

The Rule: Current moment minus X time = Event.

Examples:

• "Je suis arrivé il y a 10 minutes." (I arrived 10 minutes ago).
• "J'ai rencontré ma femme il y a 20 ans." (I met my wife 20 years ago).

Trap:

• ❌ "Je suis ici il y a 10 minutes." (No sense).
• ✅ "Je suis ici depuis 10 minutes." (I have been here for 10 mins).

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5. EN (Time to Complete)

Concept: The amount of time it takes to finish a task. English equivalent: In (within).

The Rule: Start -> Work -> Finish. Total time = EN.

Examples:

• "Je peux courir 10km en 50 minutes." (It takes me 50 mins to run 10km).
• "J'ai fini ce livre en deux jours." (I finished this book in 2 days).
• "On va à Paris en 3 heures de train."

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6. DANS (Time Before Start)

Concept: The countdown before something happens. English equivalent: In (from now). Tense used: Futur / Présent.

The Rule: Now -> Waiting -> Start.

Examples:

• "Le train part dans 5 minutes." (The train leaves in 5 minutes).
• "Je commencerai mon régime dans une semaine." (I'll start my diet in a week).

Comparison EN vs DANS:

• "Je lirai ce livre en une heure." (Reading it takes 60 mins).
• "Je lirai ce livre dans une heure." (I will start reading it 60 mins from now).

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Summary Cheat Sheet

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Conclusion

Errors with "Depuis" and "Pour" are the most common indicators of an Anglophone speaker. Examiners listen for this. If you say "Je suis ici pour 2 ans" when you mean "since", it hurts your grammar score. Fix this map in your head: Past Completed = Pendant. Still Ongoing = Depuis. Future Plan = Pour.