Apprendre A210 min Membre
Since vs For vs Ago — The Time Trio
The "depuis" problem
French has one word — depuis — for situations where English has three different words with different grammar. This is the single most common grammar mistake French speakers make in English.
Since = point in time
J'habite à Lyon depuis 2018.
→ Since + a DATE or MOMENT. Since Monday, since January, since 2018, since I started this job.
For = duration
J'habite à Lyon depuis 6 ans.
→ For + a LENGTH OF TIME. For 6 years, for 3 months, for a week, for ages.
Ago = finished past
J'ai déménagé à Lyon il y a 6 ans.
→ Ago + PAST SIMPLE. Ago looks back from now. The action is finished. "Il y a" = ago.
The tense trap
Since/For → present perfect (or present perfect continuous): "I've lived here since/for..."
Ago → past simple: "I moved here 6 years ago."
French uses present tense with "depuis" — "j'habite depuis..." English NEVER does this. "I live here since 6 years" has three errors: wrong tense, wrong time word, wrong preposition.
Quick test
Can you put a date after it? → since. (since 2018, since Monday)
Can you put a number + time unit? → for. (for 6 years, for 3 weeks)
Is the action finished? → ago + past simple. (6 years ago, I moved)
Common mistakes
"I live here since 6 years" → "I've lived here for 6 years" (or "since 2018")."I work here since 3 months" → "I've been working here for 3 months.""I came here before 6 years" → "I came here 6 years ago."
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