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In English, expressing that an action started in the past and is still ongoing requires a complex tense (like "I have been doing"). Arabic makes this much simpler!

To express an ongoing action, pair a standard **present tense verb** with the preposition منذ. Depending on the word that follows it, منذ translates to either "for" or "since".

### Using منذ to mean "For"
When منذ is followed by a duration or period of time, it means "for".

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### Using منذ to mean "Since"
When منذ is followed by a specific starting point in time, it means "since".

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### More Examples
Use this straightforward present tense structure to describe how long you have been testing and blending perfumes.

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### For a while, during: لمدة، خلال

منذ measures time up to now. For a period that is closed — in the past or the future — use **لمدة** (*for a period of*). **خلال** means *during* or *within*.

| Arabic | meaning |
|---|---|
| أجرب العطر منذ يومين | I have been testing the perfume for two days (and still am) |
| جربت العطر لمدة يومين | I tested the perfume for two days |
| سأجرب العطر خلال الأسبوع | I will test the perfume during the week |

Expressing duration (منذ)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
to smell	شمshamma
perfume	عطر'itr
since / for	منذmundhu
I have been smelling this perfume for an hour.	أشم هذا العطر منذ ساعة.ashummu hâdhâ al-'itra mundhu sâ'atin
to test / to try	جربjarraba
Your brother has been testing the perfume since yesterday.	يجرب أخوك العطر منذ أمس.yujarribu akhûka al-'itra mundhu amsi.
scent	رائحةrâ'iha
jasmine	ياسمينyâsamîn
We have been smelling the scent of jasmine for a minute.	نشم رائحة الياسمين منذ دقيقة.nashummu râ'ihata al-yâsamîni mundhu daqîqah
to blend	مزجmazaja
rose	وردward
The seller has been blending the rose perfume for a month.	يمزج البائع عطر الورد منذ شهر.yamzuju al-bâ'i'u 'itra al-wardi mundhu shahrin
drop	قطرةqatra
musk	مسكmisk
I want to test a drop of musk.	أريد أن أجرب قطرة من المسك.urîdu an ujarriba qatratan mina al-miski
The customer did not test the musk.	لم يجرب الزبون المسك.lam yujarribi az-zabûnu al-miska
She added a drop of jasmine and a drop of rose.	أضافت قطرة من الياسمين وقطرة من الورد.adâfat qatratan mina-l-yâsamîni wa qatratan mina-l-ward.
I have been blending it with musk for a year.	أمزجه بالمسك منذ عام.amzujuhu bil-miski mundhu 'âmin
They have been smelling a strong scent since dawn.	يشمون رائحة قوية منذ الفجر.yashummûna râ'iḥatan qawiyyatan mundhu al-fajri
I tested the perfume and I loved the scent of jasmine.	جربت العطر وأحببت رائحة الياسمين.jarrabtu al-'itra wa-ahbabtu râ'ihata al-yâsamîni
The apothecary has been blending perfumes for a long time.	يمزج العطار العطور منذ وقت طويل.yamzuju al-attâru al-utûra mundhu waqtin tawîl
during, within	خلالkhilâla
I will test the perfume during the week.	سأجرب العطر خلال الأسبوع.sa'ujarribu al-'iṭra khilâla al-usbû'i
The man smelled the scent of roses during the night.	شم الرجل رائحة الورد خلال الليل.shamma r-rajulu râ'ihata l-wardi khilâla l-layli.
for (a period of)	لمدةlimuddati
I traveled to Egypt for a week.	سافرت إلى مصر لمدة أسبوع.sâfartu ilâ misra limuddati usbû'in
I tested the perfume for two days.	جربت العطر لمدة يومين.jarrabtu al-'itra limuddati yawmayn

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