Des de fa un any, la meva veïna va en bicicleta a la feina.

For a year now, my neighbor has been going to work by bicycle.

Breakdown of Des de fa un any, la meva veïna va en bicicleta a la feina.

• la feina: the work
• a: to
• meu: my
• anar: to go

Questions & Answers about Des de fa un any, la meva veïna va en bicicleta a la feina.

What does des de fa un any mean exactly, and why is it used here?

Des de fa un any means for a year now / for the last year.

Catalan often uses des de fa + period of time for something that started in the past and continues up to the present.

So:

• des de fa un any = for a year now
• des de fa dues setmanes = for two weeks now
• des de fa molt de temps = for a long time now

A literal breakdown is roughly:

• des de = since/from
• fa = makes / ago / has been
• un any = a year

But you should learn des de fa as a fixed time expression.

Why is the verb in the present tense: va? Shouldn’t it be something like has gone if it has been happening for a year?

In Catalan, when an action began in the past and still continues now, the present tense is very often used.

So:

• Des de fa un any, la meva veïna va en bicicleta a la feina. = For a year now, my neighbor has been going to work by bike / goes to work by bike.

This is different from English, which often prefers has been going in this kind of situation.

So the Catalan present here does not mean only a simple present habit in a timeless way; with des de fa un any, it clearly means the habit has been true for the last year and is still true now.