French for Ongoing Hobbies: Saying How Long You've Been Doing Something
Learn to say how long you have been doing a hobby in French using depuis and the present tense, with time expressions and duration details.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In French, to say how long you have been doing something, you normally use the present tense together with depuis. This is different from English, which often uses the present perfect: I have been painting for years. French says Je peins depuis des années, literally I paint since years. In this lesson you will learn to add history and duration to simple hobby statements, so you can say not just J'aime la guitare (I like guitar) but J'apprends la guitare depuis six mois (I have been learning guitar for six months). You will also learn how to ask others how long they have done an activity and how to answer naturally in conversation.
By the end, you can…
- say how long I have been doing a hobby using depuis and the present tense.
- ask someone how long they have been doing an activity.
- use common duration expressions such as depuis deux ans, depuis longtemps, and depuis quand.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je peins depuis des années.
I have been painting for years.
zhuh pan duh-pwee day zan-ay
Use the present tense peins, not a past tense, because the activity is still true now.
J'apprends la guitare depuis six mois.
I have been learning guitar for six months.
zhah-pran lah gee-tar duh-pwee see mwa
J'apprends means I am learning. Depuis six mois gives the duration up to now.
Depuis quand tu fais de la photo ?
How long have you been doing photography?
duh-pwee kan tew fay duh lah fo-to
Informal question with tu. In more formal French: Depuis quand faites-vous de la photo ?
Je fais du piano depuis longtemps.
I have been playing piano for a long time.
zhuh fay dew pya-no duh-pwee lon-tan
Depuis longtemps is vague but natural. Use it when you do not need an exact number.
Ça fait deux ans que je cours.
I have been running for two years.
sah fay duh zan kuh zhuh koor
Ça fait + duration + que + present tense is a common alternative to depuis.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is present tense + depuis + duration. Je peins depuis des années. / J'apprends la guitare depuis six mois. / Elle fait du théâtre depuis deux ans. The activity started in the past and continues now. French does not use a perfect tense here in the same way English does. You can also put depuis at the beginning for emphasis: Depuis des années, je peins. A second common pattern is Ça fait + duration + que + present tense: Ça fait six mois que j'apprends la guitare. Both are standard. Depuis is slightly more neutral; ça fait is very common in conversation.
When to use it
Use this pattern when you want to add history to a hobby: not just what you do, but how long you have done it. Compare J'aime la photo (I like photography) with Je fais de la photo depuis cinq ans (I have been doing photography for five years). Use depuis quand to ask how long: Depuis quand tu joues au tennis ? For a negative statement, French normally uses the present tense too: Je ne joue plus au piano depuis deux ans means I have not played piano for two years. Note that depuis can also mean since with a starting point: depuis 2020, depuis mon enfance.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu fais quoi comme activité en ce moment ?
What activity are you doing at the moment?tew fay kwa kum ak-tee-vee-tay on suh moo-monJ'apprends la guitare depuis six mois. Et toi ?
I have been learning guitar for six months. And you?zhah-pran lah gee-tar duh-pwee see mwa. ay twaMoi, je peins depuis des années. J'adore ça.
Me, I have been painting for years. I love it.mwa, zhuh pan duh-pwee day zan-ay. zhah-dor sahDepuis quand exactement ?
Since when exactly?duh-pwee kan eg-zak-tuh-monA little context goes a long way
Depuis is standard in all French-speaking regions, but in everyday Quebec French you may also hear ça fait que more often in speech. In formal writing and polite conversation, use the full question form Depuis combien de temps faites-vous de la photo ? rather than the informal tu version.
One thing to watch for
Je peins depuis des années in the passé composé: J'ai peint depuis des années.
Try this instead: Use the present tense with depuis when the activity continues now: Je peins depuis des années. The passé composé would suggest a finished action, which changes the meaning.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: I have been learning guitar for six months.
Show a sample answer
J'apprends la guitare depuis six mois.
Present tense appends plus depuis six mois is the standard pattern. Ça fait six mois que j'apprends la guitare is also correct.
2Ask informally: How long have you been painting?
Show a sample answer
Depuis quand tu peins ?
Depuis quand plus informal tu and present tense peins. A more formal version is Depuis quand peignez-vous ?
3Translate: She has been doing theater for two years.
Show a sample answer
Elle fait du théâtre depuis deux ans.
Present tense fait plus depuis deux ans. Ça fait deux ans qu'elle fait du théâtre is also correct.
To add history to a hobby in French, use the present tense with depuis: Je peins depuis des années. Do not use a past tense unless the activity has stopped.
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