Log inSign up

Ça fait un instant que je t'attends.

Ça fait un instant que je t'attends.
I have been waiting for you a moment.
From Lesson 265:Ongoing duration (ça fait... que)·French

Questions & Answers about Ça fait un instant que je t'attends.

Why is attends in the present tense if the English translation says "I have been waiting"?
This is the key rule for this lesson! When an action started in the past and is still happening right now, French uses ça fait [time] que followed by the present tense. Literally, it is like saying "It makes a moment that I am waiting for you."
Why isn't there a word for "for" here, like "attends pour toi"?
The French verb attendre already means "to wait for." Adding pour would be incorrect. Because "you" is the direct object of the verb, we just use the object pronoun te (which drops its "e" and becomes t' before a vowel).
Why does t' come before the verb instead of after it?
In French, object pronouns like te (you) almost always go directly before the verb they belong to. English puts the object after the verb, but French flips this order.
Could I use il y a... que instead of ça fait... que for this sentence?
Yes, you absolutely could say Il y a un instant que je t'attends. Both expressions mean the exact same thing and use the same present tense rule, though ça fait... que is slightly more common in everyday spoken French.

Learn Ça fait un instant que je t'attends 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
Start learning French →