Breakdown of Depuis que je fais de la méditation, mon humeur est plus stable.
Questions & Answers about Depuis que je fais de la méditation, mon humeur est plus stable.
Why is the present tense fais used after depuis que instead of a past tense like j’ai fait?
In French, when an action started in the past and is still true or ongoing now, you normally use the present tense with depuis or depuis que.
English often uses present perfect (have been doing), but French keeps the present:
- Je fais de la méditation depuis deux ans.
= I’ve been meditating for two years.
Using j’ai fait de la méditation depuis… is usually incorrect in standard French for this meaning; it would sound like the action is completed, which conflicts with depuis (which implies continuity up to now).
What exactly does depuis que mean, and how is it different from depuis on its own?
Why is it je fais de la méditation and not je médite?
Both are grammatically correct, but they’re not used in exactly the same way.
Je médite
Literally: I meditate.- Also correct, a bit more direct and perhaps a little more formal or “literary” in some contexts.
- In everyday speech, many speakers prefer faire de la méditation.
In your sentence, je fais de la méditation sounds completely natural and is probably the more common choice in conversation.
Why is it de la méditation and not la méditation or des méditations?
De la here is a partitive article, used for an uncountable activity or substance, roughly like some in English.
We use:
- de la before a feminine singular noun (like méditation) for an undefined quantity of something:
- Je bois de la soupe. – I drink (some) soup.
- Je fais de la musique. – I make (some) music.
La méditation (the meditation) would sound like you’re referring to meditation in general as a concept:
- La méditation est bonne pour la santé.
Meditation is good for your health.
Des méditations (plural) is possible but would mean separate, countable instances of meditation sessions, and it’s not the form used in this kind of general statement about a habit.
Why is it mon humeur and not ma humeur, if humeur is feminine?
What does mon humeur est plus stable literally mean, and is that a natural way to say it?
Why plus stable and not plus de stable?
Could I say Depuis que je fais de la méditation, mon humeur a été plus stable instead?
You can say that, but it changes the nuance, and it’s less natural in everyday French.
mon humeur est plus stable (present)
→ Describes a current state that is considered true now, and generally sounds more natural after depuis que.mon humeur a été plus stable (passé composé)
→ Feels a bit more like you’re looking back over a period as a kind of “completed” span:
My mood has been more stable (over that time).
With depuis que, French strongly prefers the present to emphasize that the situation started in the past and is still true now:
Is there another common way to express the same idea as Depuis que je fais de la méditation, mon humeur est plus stable?
Yes, a very common alternative pattern is ça fait… que (or il y a… que in some regions), which also expresses “since / for” with duration:
- Ça fait deux ans que je fais de la méditation et mon humeur est plus stable.
I’ve been meditating for two years and my mood is more stable.
But to keep exactly the “since I started meditating” idea with a cause–effect feel, depuis que is perfect and very natural.
How would I say “Since I started meditating, my mood has become more stable” more literally in French?
If you want to mirror the English idea of “has become more stable,” you could say:
Here:
- est devenue is the passé composé of devenir (to become).
- This emphasizes the change that has happened, whereas mon humeur est plus stable simply states the current result.
Both are correct; the original sentence is slightly simpler and more commonly used in everyday speech.
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