To talk about an action that started in the past and is still happening, Spanish uses the present tense followed by desde hace (for) and a period of time.
| The artisan has been making objects in the workshop for five years. | El artesano fabrica objetos en el taller desde hace cinco años. |
| We have been manufacturing metal tools for ten years. | Nosotros fabricamos herramientas de metal desde hace diez años. |
Sentence Structure
In English, we usually say "has/have been doing [something] for [duration]." In Spanish, the formula is much simpler:
- [Present tense verb] + desde hace
- [duration of time]
| The apprentice has been cleaning the workshop for an hour. | El aprendiz limpia el taller desde hace una hora. |
| My grandfather has been sewing the leather for a long time. | Mi abuelo cose el cuero desde hace mucho tiempo. |
Using the Present Progressive
To emphasize that the action is actively ongoing right now, you can also use the present progressive (estar + -ando/-iendo) instead of the simple present.
| She has been creating wooden objects for a week. | Ella está creando objetos de madera desde hace una semana. |
| The old artisan has been sewing for four hours. | El artesano viejo está cosiendo desde hace cuatro horas. |
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