Desde Time Markers

In Spanish, different phrases indicate when something started, how long it has lasted, and how long ago something happened.

Using “desde” or “desde hace” triggers the present tense in Spanish when you would expect the present perfect (have done) in English!

Desde (Since…) → Starting Point

Marks when something started and continues until now.

🟢 Example:
✔ Me siento mal desde ayer.
(I’ve felt sick since yesterday.)
→ “Desde ayer” shows when the action started.

✔ Vivo aquí desde 2015.
(I have lived here since 2015.)
→ “Desde 2015” = starting point in time.

✔ Nos conocemos desde niños.
(We have known each other since we were kids.)
→ “Desde niños” marks the starting time of knowing each other.

🔹 Tense Tip:
✅ Spanish uses present tense here, while English prefers present perfect (“have done”).
✅ Think of desde as highlighting that something started in the past but is still true.

Desde hace (For…) → Duration

Marks how long something has lasted up to now.

🟢 Example:
✔ Me duele la cabeza desde hace tres días.
(My head has been hurting for three days.)
→ “Desde hace tres días” shows how long the pain has lasted.

✔ Vivo aquí desde hace cinco años.
(I have lived here for five years.)
→ “Desde hace cinco años” = “for five years” (duration).

🔹 Tense Tip: Still uses present tense because the action is ongoing.
🔹 Shortcut: Think “For X amount of time” when using desde hace.

Hace (Ago…) → Past Event

Marks how long ago something happened.

🟢 Example:
✔ Fui al doctor hace seis semanas.
(I went to the doctor six weeks ago.)
→ “Hace seis semanas” tells when the action happened in the past.

✔ Viví en México hace dos años.
(I lived in Mexico two years ago.)
→ “Hace dos años” = two years ago.

🔹 Tense Tip:
✅ Spanish uses preterite (past tense) because the event is completed.
✅ Think “X time ago” when using hace.

Important: Present vs. Present Perfect in Spanish

👉 Using “desde” or “desde hace” triggers the present tense in Spanish, even though English would use present perfect (“have done”).

🔹 English:
✔ I haven’t watched TV for a week.
(Present perfect: “haven’t watched”)

🔹 Spanish:
✔ No veo televisión desde hace una semana.
(Present tense: “No veo”)

✅ Why? Spanish focuses on the fact that the action is still true rather than emphasizing how long it has been happening.

Other Time Expressions

Now that we’ve covered the key time markers, here’s how they work in regards to location and extended time expressions.

Desde for Places (“From…”)

✔ Camino desde mi casa hasta la tienda.
(I walk from my house to the store.)

✔ Veo la montaña desde mi ventana.
(I see the mountain from my window.)

🔹 Shortcut: “Desde” = starting location (from here).

“Desde… hasta…” for Place (From… to…)

Marks both start and end points in time or as a location.

✔ Trabajo desde las 8 hasta las 5.
(I work from 8 to 5.)

✔ Viajamos desde Madrid hasta Barcelona.
(We traveled from Madrid to Barcelona.)

🔹 Shortcut: Desde = from / Hasta = to/until.

Complete the sentences with the correct word(s): desde, desde hace, hace, desde… hasta…

  • No como pan ___ ayer. → (I haven’t eaten bread since yesterday.)
  • Vivo aquí ___ 2018. → (I’ve lived here since 2018.)
  • No te veo ___ la semana pasada. → (I haven’t seen you since last week.)
  • Estoy esperando ___ las 3 de la tarde. → (I’ve been waiting since 3 PM.)
  • No salgo de vacaciones ___ el año pasado. → (I haven’t gone on vacation since last year.)
  • No como pan ___ dos días. → (I haven’t eaten bread for two days.)
  • Vivo aquí ___ seis años. → (I’ve lived here for six years.)
  • No te veo ___ un mes. → (I haven’t seen you for a month.)
  • Estoy esperando ___ media hora. → (I’ve been waiting for half an hour.)
  • No salgo de vacaciones ___ tres años. → (I haven’t gone on vacation for three years.)
  • Comí pan ___ dos días. → (I ate bread two days ago.)
  • Me mudé aquí ___ seis años. → (I moved here six years ago.)
  • Te vi ___ un mes. → (I saw you a month ago.)
  • Llegué ___ media hora. → (I arrived half an hour ago.)
  • Fui de vacaciones ___ tres años. → (I went on vacation three years ago.)
  • Puedo ver la ciudad ___ la montaña. → (I can see the city from the mountain.)
  • Trabajo ___ casa. → (I work from home.)
  • Estoy llamando ___ el aeropuerto. → (I’m calling from the airport.)
  • El tren sale ___ la estación central. → (The train leaves from the central station.)
  • Escucho música ___ mi habitación. → (I listen to music from my room.)
  • Trabajo ___ las 9 ___ las 5. → (I work from 9 to 5.)
  • La tienda abre ___ las 8 ___ las 10 de la noche. → (The store is open from 8 AM to 10 PM.)
  • Viví en España ___ 2010 ___ 2015. → (I lived in Spain from 2010 to 2015.)
  • Estuve estudiando ___ la mañana ___ la tarde. → (I was studying from morning until afternoon.)
  • La película duró ___ las 7 ___ las 9. → (The movie lasted from 7 to 9.)
  • Viajamos ___ México ___ Argentina. → (We traveled from Mexico to Argentina.)
  • Camino ___ mi casa ___ la escuela todos los días. → (I walk from my house to school every day.)
  • Hay tráfico ___ la oficina ___ el centro. → (There’s traffic from the office to downtown.)
  • La carretera va ___ la costa ___ las montañas. → (The highway goes from the coast to the mountains.)
  • Corremos ___ el parque ___ la playa. → (We run from the park to the beach.)
  • No como pan desde ayer. → (I haven’t eaten bread since yesterday.)
  • Vivo aquí desde 2018. → (I’ve lived here since 2018.)
  • No te veo desde la semana pasada. → (I haven’t seen you since last week.)
  • Estoy esperando desde las 3 de la tarde. → (I’ve been waiting since 3 PM.)
  • No salgo de vacaciones desde el año pasado. → (I haven’t gone on vacation since last year.)
  • No como pan desde hace dos días. → (I haven’t eaten bread for two days.)
  • Vivo aquí desde hace seis años. → (I’ve lived here for six years.)
  • No te veo desde hace un mes. → (I haven’t seen you for a month.)
  • Estoy esperando desde hace media hora. → (I’ve been waiting for half an hour.)
  • No salgo de vacaciones desde hace tres años. → (I haven’t gone on vacation for three years.)
  • Comí pan hace dos días. → (I ate bread two days ago.)
  • Me mudé aquí hace seis años. → (I moved here six years ago.)
  • Te vi hace un mes. → (I saw you a month ago.)
  • Llegué hace media hora. → (I arrived half an hour ago.)
  • Fui de vacaciones hace tres años. → (I went on vacation three years ago.)
  • Puedo ver la ciudad desde la montaña. → (I can see the city from the mountain.)
  • Trabajo desde casa. → (I work from home.)
  • Estoy llamando desde el aeropuerto. → (I’m calling from the airport.)
  • El tren sale desde la estación central. → (The train leaves from the central station.)
  • Escucho música desde mi habitación. → (I listen to music from my room.)
  • Trabajo desde las 9 hasta las 5. → (I work from 9 to 5.)
  • La tienda abre desde las 8 hasta las 10 de la noche. → (The store is open from 8 AM to 10 PM.)
  • Viví en España desde 2010 hasta 2015. → (I lived in Spain from 2010 to 2015.)
  • Estuve estudiando desde la mañana hasta la tarde. → (I was studying from morning until afternoon.)
  • La película duró desde las 7 hasta las 9. → (The movie lasted from 7 to 9.)
  • Viajamos desde México hasta Argentina. → (We traveled from Mexico to Argentina.)
  • Camino desde mi casa hasta la escuela todos los días. → (I walk from my house to school every day.)
  • Hay tráfico desde la oficina hasta el centro. → (There’s traffic from the office to downtown.)
  • La carretera va desde la costa hasta las montañas. → (The highway goes from the coast to the mountains.)
  • Corremos desde el parque hasta la playa. → (We run from the park to the beach.)

Patterns to Notice:

  • If talking about time, “desde” = “since”, “hasta” = “until.”
  • If talking about place, “desde” = “from”, “hasta” = “to.”

💡 If you ever get confused, ask yourself:
“Am I marking a starting point?” → Use “desde.”
“Am I marking both a start and an end?” → Use “desde… hasta.”

Tense Rules Recap

✅ If the action is still happening → Use Present
✅ If the action ended → Use Preterite

🔹 Examples:
✔ Vivo en México desde 2015.
(I have lived in Mexico since 2015.) → Still true = Present.

✔ Viví en México desde 2015 hasta 2020.
(I lived in Mexico from 2015 to 2020.) → Ended = Preterite.

🚀 REMEMBER: Spanish present tense can feel like English present perfect!

Say the same thing WITHOUT “Desde”des

You can avoid “desde” and still say the same thing using:

✅ Hace + [time] + que + present tense
✔ Hace cinco años que vivo aquí. → (I’ve lived here for five years.)

✅ Present Perfect (Haber + participle)
✔ He vivido aquí por cinco años. → (I have lived here for five years.)

✅ Llevar + gerund (action in progress)
✔ Llevo cinco años viviendo aquí. → (I have been living here for five years.)

  1. I’ve lived here since January.
  2. We haven’t spoken since last summer.
  3. She’s worked there since 2010.
  4. He’s been sick since Tuesday.
  5. They’ve known each other since childhood.
  6. I haven’t eaten sugar since my birthday.
  7. The baby has been crying since this morning.
  8. I’ve had this car since high school.
  9. He’s been playing piano since he was six.
  10. We’ve been friends since college.
  1. I’ve had this headache for two hours.
  2. She’s been a teacher for ten years.
  3. They’ve lived in that house for a decade.
  4. He’s been asleep for almost an hour.
  5. I haven’t eaten for three days.
  6. We’ve been waiting for half an hour.
  7. I’ve known her for a long time.
  8. He’s been in a meeting for most of the day.
  9. They’ve been married for twenty years.
  10. I’ve had this job for six months.

Time marker but not desde. Use hace instead.

  1. I met her two years ago.
  2. We bought the house six months ago.
  3. He left the company a week ago.
  4. I went to Paris five years ago.
  5. They called me an hour ago.
  6. I started learning Spanish three months ago.
  7. The concert happened last weekend.
  8. She moved here ten years ago.
  9. I saw that movie a few days ago.
  10. The accident happened twenty minutes ago.
  1. I can see the ocean from my balcony.
  2. He called me from the airport.
  3. She sent the package from her office.
  4. We’re working from home this week.
  5. I took the photo from the roof.
  6. They broadcast the event from the stadium.
  7. I watched the parade from the window.
  8. She walked home from the station.
  9. The smell is coming from the kitchen.
  10. He’s shouting from the hallway.
  1. I work from 9 AM to 5 PM.
  2. The movie runs from 7 to 9 tonight.
  3. We traveled from Mexico to Chile.
  4. The road goes from the village to the river.
  5. I studied from morning until night.
  6. The shop is open from Monday to Saturday.
  7. He jogged from his house to the park.
  8. They’ll be gone from June to September.
  9. The meeting lasted from 2 PM to 4:30.
  10. She drove from downtown to the beach.
  • No como pan ___ ayer. → (I haven’t eaten bread since yesterday.)
  • Vivo aquí ___ 2018. → (I’ve lived here since 2018.)
  • No te veo ___ la semana pasada. → (I haven’t seen you since last week.)
  • Estoy esperando ___ las 3 de la tarde. → (I’ve been waiting since 3 PM.)
  • No salgo de vacaciones ___ el año pasado. → (I haven’t gone on vacation since last year.)
  • No como pan ___ dos días. → (I haven’t eaten bread for two days.)
  • Vivo aquí ___ seis años. → (I’ve lived here for six years.)
  • No te veo ___ un mes. → (I haven’t seen you for a month.)
  • Estoy esperando ___ media hora. → (I’ve been waiting for half an hour.)
  • No salgo de vacaciones ___ tres años. → (I haven’t gone on vacation for three years.)
  • Comí pan ___ dos días. → (I ate bread two days ago.)
  • Me mudé aquí ___ seis años. → (I moved here six years ago.)
  • Te vi ___ un mes. → (I saw you a month ago.)
  • Llegué ___ media hora. → (I arrived half an hour ago.)
  • Fui de vacaciones ___ tres años. → (I went on vacation three years ago.)
  • Puedo ver la ciudad ___ la montaña. → (I can see the city from the mountain.)
  • Trabajo ___ casa. → (I work from home.)
  • Estoy llamando ___ el aeropuerto. → (I’m calling from the airport.)
  • El tren sale ___ la estación central. → (The train leaves from the central station.)
  • Escucho música ___ mi habitación. → (I listen to music from my room.)
  • Trabajo ___ las 9 ___ las 5. → (I work from 9 to 5.)
  • La tienda abre ___ las 8 ___ las 10 de la noche. → (The store is open from 8 AM to 10 PM.)
  • Viví en España ___ 2010 ___ 2015. → (I lived in Spain from 2010 to 2015.)
  • Estuve estudiando ___ la mañana ___ la tarde. → (I was studying from morning until afternoon.)
  • La película duró ___ las 7 ___ las 9. → (The movie lasted from 7 to 9.)
  • Viajamos ___ México ___ Argentina. → (We traveled from Mexico to Argentina.)
  • Camino ___ mi casa ___ la escuela todos los días. → (I walk from my house to school every day.)
  • Hay tráfico ___ la oficina ___ el centro. → (There’s traffic from the office to downtown.)
  • La carretera va ___ la costa ___ las montañas. → (The highway goes from the coast to the mountains.)
  • Corremos ___ el parque ___ la playa. → (We run from the park to the beach.)