J'attends son appel depuis hier.

Questions & Answers about J'attends son appel depuis hier.

Why is this in the present tense (J'attends) when the English translation says 'I have been waiting'?
In French, if an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you use the present tense along with depuis. Because you are still waiting, it is treated as a present action.
Why is there no word for 'for' after J'attends?
The French verb attendre already means 'to wait for'. You never need to add a preposition like pour after it. You just attach the thing you are waiting for directly.
Could son appel mean 'her call' instead of 'his call'?
Yes! In French, possessive adjectives agree with the gender of the noun being owned, not the gender of the owner. Because appel is masculine, you use son regardless of whether a man or a woman is calling.
Why use depuis here instead of pendant?
Depuis connects a past starting point to an action that is still going on in the present. It translates to 'since' when used with a specific point in time, like depuis hier, or 'for' with a duration. You would use pendant for a duration of time that has already ended.

Learn J'attends son appel depuis hier and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free