Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Hace tres semanas que la lluvia no para y la calle parece peligrosa. - It has been raining nonstop for three weeks and the street seems dangerous.

The formula Hace + [time period] + que + [present-tense verb] indicates how long an action has been happening up to now. In this example, Hace tres semanas que la lluvia no para literally conveys “It’s been three weeks that the rain doesn’t stop,” which we translate naturally as “It hasn’t stopped raining for three weeks.”

Why is the verb in la lluvia no para in the simple present and not the present perfect?

Spanish often uses the simple present to stress an action or state that began in the past and continues now. Here, no para (“doesn’t stop”) highlights that the rain is still ongoing. The present perfect (no ha parado) would shift focus and sound less idiomatic when you want to emphasize continuous duration.

What function does que serve in Hace tres semanas que…?

In this construction, que is a conjunction linking the time expression (Hace tres semanas) to the verb clause (la lluvia no para). Think of it like the English “that” in “It’s been three weeks that it hasn’t stopped.”

Could I say Hace tres semanas que no para de llover instead?

Absolutely. Hace tres semanas que no para de llover uses the more common impersonal form no para de + infinitive, meaning “it hasn’t stopped raining for three weeks.” Both versions are correct; one treats la lluvia as subject, the other is an impersonal “…de llover.”

Why choose la lluvia no para over expressions like no ha dejado de llover or la lluvia no para de llover?

La lluvia no para (“the rain doesn’t stop”) is a direct, simple-present way to say it.
No ha dejado de llover (“it hasn’t stopped raining”) uses present perfect plus dejar de + infinitive, equally correct but slightly more formal.
La lluvia no para de llover mixes a concrete subject with no para de + infinitive, less common but understood.
They all convey continuous rain; your choice depends on style and emphasis.

Why is the adjective peligrosa feminine in la calle parece peligrosa?

In Spanish, adjectives agree with the noun’s gender and number. Calle is feminine singular, so you use peligrosa (ending in -a). If it were el camino (masculine), you’d say parece peligroso.

Why does the sentence use parece peligrosa instead of es peligrosa or está peligrosa?

Parece expresses an impression or appearance: the street seems dangerous right now.
Es peligrosa would state an inherent or permanent trait (“the street is dangerous by nature”).
Está peligrosa is grammatically possible but less idiomatic here; it would stress a temporary state without implying “seems.”

Can I rephrase the time part using llevar or desde hace?

Yes. Two common alternatives:
• Lleva tres semanas sin parar de llover y la calle parece peligrosa.
• La lluvia no para desde hace tres semanas y la calle parece peligrosa.
Both keep the meaning but change the time-expression structure.

Can the verb after Hace… que appear in tenses other than the present?

Yes.
• Preterite for a completed action some time ago: Hace dos años que visité Madrid (“I visited Madrid two years ago”).
• Present perfect to emphasize that the action has occurred at least once during that period: Hace un mes que he llamado varias veces (“I have called several times over the past month”).
But for ongoing situations, the simple present (as in our example) is most natural.