Learn Hardcore French: Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne. - The car has been broken down for two weeks.

The structure Il y a + length of time + que + [present tense] is a very common way to say that something started in the past and is still true now.

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
Literally: There are two weeks that the car is broken down.
Natural English: The car has been broken down for two weeks.

So:

Il y a trois jours que je suis malade. → I’ve been ill for three days.
Il y a un an que nous habitons ici. → We’ve been living here for a year.

In English, you normally use has/have been + -ing or has/have been + past participle for this meaning; French uses the present tense in this construction.

Why is it est en panne (present tense) instead of a past tense, since it started two weeks ago?

Because French focuses on the current state, not on when it started.

la voiture est en panne = the car is broken down (right now)

The time expression Il y a deux semaines que… already tells you how long this state has lasted. You don’t need a past tense like a été en panne here.

Compare:

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
→ The car has been broken down for two weeks. (still broken now)
La voiture a été en panne pendant deux semaines.
→ The car was broken down for two weeks. (it isn’t anymore; that period is over)

So the present in French often corresponds to the English present perfect in “for/since” sentences.

Is Il y a deux semaines que… the same as Ça fait deux semaines que… or Depuis deux semaines…?

They’re very close in meaning and usage:

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
Ça fait deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
La voiture est en panne depuis deux semaines.

All three normally mean: The car has been broken down for two weeks.

Notes:

Il y a… que and Ça fait… que are extremely common in spoken French.
They are almost interchangeable in everyday speech.
Depuis goes directly before the time expression and usually follows the verb:
- Je travaille ici depuis cinq ans.
  → I’ve been working here for five years.
Style/feel:
- Depuis sentences feel a bit more neutral/standard.
- Il y a… que / Ça fait… que can sound a bit more conversational or emphatic.

In this particular sentence, you can freely swap:

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
Ça fait deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
La voiture est en panne depuis deux semaines.

Why is there a que after Il y a deux semaines? Why can’t we say Il y a deux semaines la voiture est en panne?

In this construction, que is required. It links the time expression to the clause that describes the situation.

Pattern:

Il y a + duration + que + [clause in the present]

So you must say:

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.

You cannot say:

✗ Il y a deux semaines la voiture est en panne.

That sentence is ungrammatical in French because the structure Il y a… que + clause is fixed; the que is part of the expression that means “for [duration]”.

Without que, Il y a deux semaines simply means two weeks ago:

Il y a deux semaines, j’ai acheté une voiture.
→ Two weeks ago, I bought a car.

So:

Il y a deux semaines, … → Two weeks ago, … (past event)
Il y a deux semaines que… → … has been [doing/being] for two weeks. (ongoing situation)

What exactly does en panne mean? How is it different from words like cassée?

En panne is a fixed expression meaning broken down / out of order / not working, especially for machines, vehicles, devices.

La voiture est en panne. → The car is broken down.
L’ascenseur est en panne. → The elevator is out of order.
Mon ordinateur est en panne. → My computer is not working / has broken down.

Differences:

cassée = literally broken, physically damaged:
- La vitre est cassée. → The window is broken (glass shattered).
en panne = not functioning, whether or not something is physically broken:
- La voiture est en panne → won’t start / won’t run
- La voiture est cassée → something on it is actually broken (stronger implication of damage)

Often for cars and machines, you naturally say en panne rather than cassée.

What does the il in Il y a refer to? Is it the car?

No, the il in Il y a is impersonal. It does not refer to la voiture or anything else.

Il y a is an expression that functions as a whole, similar to English there is / there are or ago, depending on context.

Examples:

Il y a une voiture devant la maison.
→ There is a car in front of the house.
Il y a deux semaines, je l’ai vu.
→ I saw him two weeks ago.
Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
→ The car has been broken down for two weeks.

In all of these, il is just a dummy subject required by French grammar. It doesn’t have a specific meaning itself.

Can you use this structure in other tenses, for example to say “had been broken down for two weeks”?

Yes. You change the tense of the main verb, not the duration expression.

Present (still true now)
- Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
  → The car has been broken down for two weeks.
Past (it was true at some point in the past)
To say “had been broken down for two weeks” at a past reference point, you normally use the pluperfect:
- Il y avait deux semaines que la voiture était en panne quand le garagiste est venu.
  Literally: There had been two weeks that the car was broken down when the mechanic came.
  Natural: The car had been broken down for two weeks when the mechanic came.
Here:
- Il y avait → past of il y a
- était en panne → past of est en panne
Future (will be true at a future point)
French tends to express this more naturally with depuis, but you can find:
- Dans deux jours, il y aura deux semaines que la voiture sera en panne.
  → In two days, it will have been two weeks that the car has been broken down.

In everyday speech, for future and past contexts, people often prefer depuis / pendant or reword the sentence to avoid the heavier forms.

Can I say Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est tombée en panne? What’s the difference with est en panne?

You can say it, but the meaning is slightly different.

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
→ Focus on the state: The car has been in a broken-down state for two weeks (and still is).
Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est tombée en panne.
→ Focus more on the event: It’s been two weeks since the car broke down.

Subtle difference:

est en panne = describes the ongoing situation.
est tombée en panne = mentions the moment when it broke down.

In English, you might feel this as:

has been broken (down) for two weeks vs.
it’s been two weeks since it broke down.

Both are correct; which you choose depends on whether you want to insist on the duration of the state or the time since the event.

Is there any difference in formality or register between Il y a deux semaines que… and Ça fait deux semaines que…?

They are both very common and acceptable in neutral, everyday French. Subtle differences:

Ça fait deux semaines que…
- Slightly more informal / conversational, because of ça.
- Very frequent in speech:
  - Ça fait deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
Il y a deux semaines que…
- Slightly more neutral or standard.
- Works fine both in conversation and in writing.

In most normal contexts, you can treat them as interchangeable; the difference is more a matter of nuance than strict formality.

How would I say “The car has just broken down” or “The car just broke down” instead?

You wouldn’t use Il y a deux semaines que for that, because you’re talking about a very recent event, not a duration.

Use venir de + infinitive to express “has just … / just …”:

La voiture vient de tomber en panne.
→ The car has just broken down / The car just broke down.

If you later refer back to this and talk about duration, you switch to the type of structure from your original sentence:

Il y a deux semaines que la voiture est en panne.
→ The car has been broken down for two weeks.