Spanish expressions for time

[laepelba]

I have been studying Spanish for a year.
I studied Spanish twenty years ago in college.

I have been watching television for five hours this afternoon.
I watched television for five hours on Thursday.

I have been at the hairdresser for two hours already.
I was at the hairdresser for three hours yesterday.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I have been studying Spanish for a year. - He estado estudiando español por un año.
I studied Spanish twenty years ago in college.- Estudié español (hace) 20 años atrás.
I have been watching television for five hours this afternoon.- He estado viendo televisión por cinco horas esta tarde.
I watched television for five hours on Thursday. - Ví televisión por cinco horas el jueves.

I have been at the hairdresser for two hours already.- He estado en la peluqería por dos horas.
I was at the hairdresser for three hours yesterday.- Estuve en la peluquería por tres horas ayer.

Now consider the following:

I have been watching tv since 5pm. - He estado viendo tele desde las 5pm.

I have been watching tv since 5 hours ago. He estado viendo tele desde hace 5 horas atrás.

Now i think I nailed it for you.

[laepelba]

Let me re-state what I'm trying to ask about. The section in the book I'm reading uses "hace" with time-related phrases. So my questions are all about "hace". I have been understanding that you want to go in the directino of "he estado" + present participle, etc. - to direct me away from the "hace" ... but my questions were really specific about what I want to get at:

1) Is "desde hace" equivalent to "hace" in that kind of construction? (i.e. Is my Bolivian-dwelling friend wrong?)
2) How do I know if "Estudio español hace veinte años" means "I have been studying Spanish for twenty years" or if it means "I studied Spanish twenty years ago"?

You answered the first. I'm still not sure about the second.....

[chileno]

"Desde hace" is used, but each by themselves serve the same purpose.

(desde) Hace tres horas que te estoy esperando. it's been 3 hours since I am waiting for you.
Te estoy esperando desde las tres de la tarde. I am waiting/have been waiting since 3 pm.

Since 3pm that I've been waiting for you. Desde las 3pm que te he estado esperando/ que he estado esperando por ti.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

If I want to say that something started in the past and is ongoing, I can say:
Estudio español desde hace un año.
Or
Hace un año que estudio español.

Now, a book that I'm using to study says that it would also be equivalent to say:
Estudio español desde hace un año.

Your book is right.

Originally Posted by laepelba

But I have a friend, born and raised in the United States, but who now lives in Bolivia (for quite a few years now) ... and this friend insists that you cannot use "desde" with "hace" for time phrases. She insists that "desde" means that something happened "from" a certain time. She tells me that you can use one or the other but not both. So that is my first question. Is my phrase with "desde hace" equivalent to the other two phrases?

I think your friend is wrong. If you say "estudio español desde un año", it's an incorrect and fragmentary sentence.

Originally Posted by laepelba

My next question is how to express something in the past that also ended in the past. If I want to say that I studied Spanish in college 20 years ago, could I also say:
Estudié español hace veinte años en la universidad.

For some reason I seem to remember being told that this is how to say it. But then how do you distinguish between the action that hasn't yet ended and the action that ended twenty years ago?

The verbal tense is what will tell you whether the action has already ended or if it hasn't.

"Hace un año que estudio español" = "Estudio español desde hace un año" -> you're still studying, because "estudio" is present tense.

"Estudié español hace 20 años" -> Action ended 20 years ago. "Estudié" is past tense.

[laepelba]

Thanks, Malila - now both of my questions about "hace" have been answered.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

Your book is right.




I think your friend is wrong. If you say "estudio español desde un año", it's an incorrect and fragmentary sentence.




The verbal tense is what will tell you whether the action has already ended or if it hasn't.

"Hace un año que estudio español" = "Estudio español desde hace un año" -> you're still studying, because "estudio" is present tense.

"Estudié español hace 20 años" -> Action ended 20 years ago. "Estudié" is past tense.

Excellent. Can you provide translations to English so Lou Ann can see the difference(s)?

[irmamar]

You can say both:

Hace un año que estudio español, and
Estudio español desde hace un año.

But you can't say "desde" at the beginning of the sentence (Desde hace un año estudio español )

You can say "desde" only if the action has not finished.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

But you can't say "desde" at the beginning of the sentence (Desde hace un año estudio español )

My grammar book gives Desde aquí se ve el mar. Is this OK if desde denotes direction rather than time since?

By the way, I think hace is very confusing. Am I right in thinking it is 3rd sg present of hacer, transmogrified into the conjunction, preposition or adverb since ? It makes parsing very difficult.

[irmamar]

"Desde" is a preposition used in both time and place sentences (since and from).

Veo el mar desde aquí.
No estudio desde hace tiempo.

"Hace" is impersonal (hace tiempo que, hace frío, etc.). You can't say "hacen años" , but "hace años"